A Day in the Life
by moroitsubasa
Summary: Eight backgrounds, eight personalities, eight lives; eight paths intersecting at the point of friendship with eight people just standing around, getting impatient for a change. And from here on out, things will never be the same. AU. Rated OT
1. Prologue: Observances

**Title: **_A Day in the Life_

**Characters: **Niwa Daisuke, Hiwatari Satoshi, Hikari Krad, Mousy Dark, Harada Riku, Harada Risa

**Notes: **I will be using the Japanese Honorific system in speech, but possibly not the way it is used originally. This fic is set in an alternate universe, so the relations that exist between the characters in the manga and/or anime may/may not be portrayed in this little fan fiction. However, I will be keeping to the American way outside of dialogue. Don't murder me over this. The disclaimer, though it will apply to the entire work, will only be posted on the title page. I'm also changing Satoshi's hair color to something natural (though it is technically canon if you look at the colored version of the drawing between _The Second Hand of Time_ parts 8 and 9), and changing Krad's eye color to green.

Things said in English with be in **bold** for your viewing pleasure.

**Warnings: _Possible_** slash content and dark themes in later chapters. Cursing will probably be here (along with potentially sexual comments from Dark), but I'm not going to drop the F-Bomb.

**Rated** T for teen and not tentacle porn, possibly OT in later chapters

F-Bomb to me is basically "F'in' f'ing f'er", not someone screaming it at the top of their lungs when an arm is broken off.

(Image:)You can see it here: dnangel. angst-boi. net (slash) images (slash) asuka (slash) colour (slash) ASUKA-colour-07. jpg

**Disclaimer: **I am Sugisaki Yukiru. Now that I have successfully lied to the readers and have a legal notice on the way from all the anal people on the site: none of the characters belong to me. If they did, it'd be pretty retarded to be posting this on a fan fiction site.

* * *

This is a story about life. It's a story about stereotypes, a story about the people we see everyday–the people we never truly see. This is a story about a self-proclaimed "playa", a rich kid, a jock, someone everyone took advantage of, a stuck-up, and a nerd. It's a story about life and all it's little pieces. 

It's a story everyone knows, one that we've heard a thousand times over. The kind that should really begin with "Once upon a time", but if it did, it'd ruin the purpose. Once upon a time stories are for the past and soften the true meaning until it is a mere blur on the page, missed by most and forgotten by all. I don't believe in Once upon a time because history repeats itself. Once upon a time is happening now, but because it's only a folk-tale, many people don't even bother to look for it.

That being said: Right before our very eyes….

--

It was times like these, she figured everyone thought she was a race horse. Faster, faster, faster, harder, stronger, more, more, more, more, more! She doubted she'd get a chance to do her homework that night as the coach continued to bark orders from the sidelines. For a moment, she thought about asking for a break and paused long enough to run a hand through her burgundy, sweaty hair, and caught a glimpse of a familiar figure passing through the courtyard: Dark Mousy. She didn't like him, the pervert with the obviously dyed eggplant-colored hair and dark eyes, and had no idea what anyone saw in him. She proceeded to glare at him as he continued to chit-chat with the horde of girls that followed him everywhere, but the coach would have nothing of it.

"Move it, Harada!"

"Yes, sir!" she jumped, brown eyes a little wider than usual and began to run the track again.

--

'_I can't see where I'm going,_' he thought as he tried to peek around the large stack of plastic trays in his arms. Technically, Takeshi was supposed to be doing this, he knew, but the louder boy had to be at a meeting or something and the red-head had been more than happy to help him out, not even thinking that usually two people had gotten the job of taking the lunch trays back to the cafeteria. It didn't matter, he liked helping others and the others seemed to appreciate it anyway. He was so caught up in his thoughts he forgot to watch where he was going–or really, staring at his feet and hoping he was going the right way–and stepped on crack between two cement tiles just different enough in height to send him fumbling to not drop his load.

As he righted himself, he saw her and his face lit up to match his hair. She was just standing there, catching her breath, looking as beautiful as ever. She was Riku Harada, and she was… apparently getting yelled at by a teacher. Not wanting to watch, he hurried away only to trip on nothing and sent sprawling to the ground.

--

It seemed he had chosen a prime time to glance up from his book and gaze out the window. The chance to see Daisuke Niwa fall flat on his face was priceless, even if it was a rather sad thing to watch. He felt sorry for him with the way everyone left him to do everything, but not that the boy never refused. If he wouldn't stand up for himself, the tow headed boy decided not to care.

Still, he couldn't help but stare as he seemed to be holding back tears as he began to gather the fallen, and dirty again, trays. He couldn't help himself then, and stood to help him with it. He'd only fall again anyway and it would be forever before he reached the cafeteria. "Can I help you with that?"

--

She huffed. He'd gotten away again! If Satoshi Hiwatari was so hard to catch, no wonder he was considered undateable. She'd only considered him recently because he was the only boy in her grade that had yet to show an interest in anyone–and she knew; she had her sources–and now she could almost understand why no one'd gotten a chance yet. This boy was always either hiding or on the move. '_And damn, he's fast for a stick._' But she wouldn't give up, she decided as she flipped perfect brown hair out of her eyes, even if–

Ok, ew. He was talking to that nice kid. He was _associating_ with the likes of that Niwa boy. Niwa! The most insane family in town, and the love of her life was talking to him. She proceeded to watch from a distance, waiting for a chance to strike but not daring to get closer. Niwa probably had cooties or something.

--

He blinked his emerald eyes as he watched one of the underclassmen get stalked by another–wasn't her name Risa?–with a reputation for sleeping around. Of course, the blonde could only rely on hear-say since he'd only been attending since last week. Then again, he wasn't sure if he was understanding what was being said since he'd only been in the country for a month. No matter how pissed he was at his parents, he couldn't help be thankful for the foreign language classes he'd been made to take.

Not that being fluent in Latin, French, German, English, Spanish, Russian, and some Native American dialect that had died out last century would help him much right now, but it was almost a nice sentiment. Moving to Japan gave "Everything I needed to know I learned from anime" a whole new meaning for him.

"**Oi, Krad**!"

Oh, God.

--

Very pleased with himself, he wrapped an arm around Krad Hikari's shoulders. Foreigners, he had learned in class–but he wasn't paying attention, nuh-uh, and if you say anything otherwise, he'd pound you–, were used to the touchy-feely stuff and called each other by their first name. Besides, this was one way to escape the chicks. He liked the ladies, really he did, but he didn't need first-years humping his leg; it'd been illegal for a month now. Damn Birthdays.

"Mousy-san, please don't hang on me," if this guy thought he was impressive with his unnecessarily high politeness, he had another thing coming.

Besides, everyone knew the non-Japanese couldn't speak the Language of the Gods perfectly; it was down-right impossible.

But if Krad wanted to take a shot at the language barrier, he could play that game as well: "**What? You are not like it?**" No one ever said his English was perfect. Krad cringed, but didn't answer verbally, instead brushing off the offending limb and walking away. Crazy _gaijin_ and their messed-up personalities.

* * *

AN: This is the really only the prologue, so there isn't much of a plot or anything right now. I just wanted something out in the open to give me an incentive to work on it. (Though, I do admit I want to cover a wide range of genres) 

AAN: I replaced this chapter since I found a typo, and it's safe to say that I have some kind of plot stirring in my head and I hope to get another chapter churned out soon.

AAAN: I've replaced a few chapters for small errors and bold-faced type. This should be the last time I do this.


	2. Week One, Wednesday: Lunch

AN: I have a mini-plot in mind for Dark and Krad, but everyone else is just kind of hanging around. Enjoy the next installation.

(Replaced with small edits)

* * *

He didn't know why he thought it would be any different. Something boring in one country was bound to be the same in another, but something added a little spice to his day, and probably would continue to do so for a while. But to do what he intended to, why, it was embarrassing. A Hikari _never_ asked for help, least of all in something so _trivial_. In fact, a Hikari never asked for anything! It simply wasn't done.

Still, this was way beyond his limits and somehow schools here seemed a lot more difficult than the ones back home. Krad raised his hand lazily, giving up on frantically trying to take his notes.

"Thus, in 1868–yes, Hikari-kun?"

"Could you speak a little slower? And use simpler words?" He could feel their eyes on him, questioning him, boring into his soul and asking as one 'Who are you? What makes you so different? Why are you here?' Oh well, he would just have to do something about that later. "I can't keep up."

"I see. Perhaps if you paid more attention–"

He mentally damned his father for being Asian. "Please understand, I don't know Japanese very–."

"Try harder." He mentally damned the teacher for being an ass. "I am not going to stoop down and cater to one student and cause the others to flounder. Keep up or risk failing. Now be quiet or I'll give you a detention."

"But, I–" He was interrupted by the sound of a hand slapping a desk three rows away.

"Now that isn't very fair to Hikari-kun." He mentally damned Dark for being… Dark. At least he wasn't pretending to be so familiar to him anymore. "He's just learning our language and you're using all these big words. Hell, I don't understand half of what you're saying."

"Again, if you would pay attention Mousey–"

"That's not the point. Hikari-kun's an American, let's settle this his way," Krad decided he was going to kill him, he was going to _drive screws under those fingernails of his_–Dark turned towards the class–_string him up by his toes_– "Let's vote–" _peel the skin off of him slowly like one would skin a carrot_– "Who here thinks Yamaguchi-sensei is being unfair?" –_and if he's still alive, bury him in salt so that he burns at the end of his life and into the next._ All female hands raised instantly, male hands soon followed. _Lather, rinse, repeat with the victim's family and friends._ "See?" The dark-eyed boy returned to the teacher, still sitting, still smug, still oblivious to the glare he was receiving from the classmate he had just "helped".

"Mousey."

"Yes?"

"Detention."

--

"And then there's Satou-chan, she's kinda pretty, but in a flower shop person kinda way. I think I went out with her for a week."

Thud.

"Ito's really quiet and everyone says she a lesbian or something. I don't know about her."

Thud.

"Oh! You're going to hate chemistry. Machigawa's tough."

Thud.

"English should be a snap for you, tough!"

'_It's like he's the thing that won't shut up._' Thud.

"Hey, how do you say 'Strip,' in English? Like a strip-show?"

Thud. Thud.

"… Hey, Hikari. Yoo-hoo!"

Thud.

"You're gonna get a headache if you keep that up."

Thu–something yanked on his ponytail sharply, keeping his head from making another union with the desk and forcing him to sit mostly upright.

"Do Americans really carry guns all the time?"

Krad didn't even grace that with a response as he glared at the crumbs left from his lunch.

Dark shrugged. "Whatever."

Thud.

--

Satoshi pulled out his lunch and peered into the bag to remind himself what he got that morning. Rice-ball and juice. He almost smacked himself on the head; did he ever get anything else? Sometimes, he'd get a different flavor filling, but not that it really mattered. It seemed everyone's suspicions were correct. He was boring. Boo-hoo. Chomp.

"Want a cookie?"

Pause, look up, turn right, shove the remaining food into one cheek. Oh goody, Niwa. "I'm sorry?"

"I asked you if you wanted a cookie," Daisuke shook the proffered snack to illustrate. Honestly, it couldn't be healthy for the blonde to eat so little and the red-head was starting to get full anyway. Besides, sharing is caring and the brown-eyed boy cared for everyone.

The blue-eyed one, however, raised a skeptic eyebrow. "I see that. Why are you giving me your cookie?" The slightly older teen made sure to use simple sentences just in case the other wasn't keeping up.

"Well, it looks like you forgot your lunch at home, so I–"

"This is my lunch."

"I know, but the cafeteria is so–"

The boy obviously wasn't catching on. "Niwa-kun, this _is_ my lunch. This is what I packed. I don't need any more food," his eyes narrowed a hair. Stupid, stupid little Niwa, implying that Satoshi would be so absent minded as to leave something behind.

It took a minute for Daisuke to respond with an oh-so-intelligent 'oh.' He stared at the yummy piece of chocolate-chip, baked goodness, then held it out again. "You want it?"

"… Sure."

--

Risa only glanced at her sister long enough to know she was piling in the food before she turned away with a grimace. '_Disgusting._' Sometimes, she wondered if she had been swapped at birth, if Riku wasn't really her twin, but then someone reminded them of their physical similarities and her hopes were shot down. Honestly! It wasn't lady-like at all to go grunge about like some boy. The slightly older twin even got away with wearing the gym uniform around campus from time to time. It wasn't–it just wasn't right!

"So, are you still going for Hiwatari-kun, Risa-pii?" The brunette tuned back in on the conversation she was supposedly having with her girls and realized the question her closest friend had asked.

"Of course I am. I'm not going to give up just because he's a little shy," she closed her eyes haughtily and flipped her hair. "I mean, he could do without his glasses, but doesn't he almost look like a foreigner?"

"Speaking of which, did you see him?"

"You mean Hikari-senpai?"

"Can you say hottie?"

"Can you say _American_?"

"You think so?"

"I _know_ so."

"Kyaaaa!"

* * *

AN: That's right, I decided to have the girls give each other weird nicknames. Sue me. 


	3. Week One, Thursday: Caring

AN: I've decided that each chapter will, roughly, represent a day, unless otherwise stated. That means we are three days into the story. It isn't exciting yet, but I hope it will be soon.

(Replaced with small edits)

* * *

Satoshi, as usual, was in the classroom exactly an hour and a half before any classes and practices would begin. He knew the order everyone came into class, who would talk to whom before class started, and how many of his classmates would have been marked tardy on a regular basis if the teacher would just arrive on time. 

So it was fair for him to be surprised when one Niwa Daisuke, one of the tardiest, came in five minutes after the blonde had.

"Hi–Hiwatari-kun," the stuttering redhead began, embarrassed over nothing, "What are you doing here?"

"I'm always here this early," by this time, the blond had returned to his book. "Why are _you_ here, Niwa?"

"Hm? Oh," the brown-eyed boy chuckled nervously, one hand seeking the back of his neck out of habit. "I was trying to be first today, but I guess you beat me to it, huh?" Satoshi decided that didn't merit a response. "Whacha reading?"

"_The Fall of the House of Usher_," he didn't have to look up to know that Daisuke had moved to stand behind him and was reading over his shoulder. Satoshi was thoroughly miffed. "It's a story by an American author called Edgar Allen Poe."

Daisuke's eyes continued to scan the page and Satoshi had the urge to flip it out of spite. He'd read this work enough to have it memorized. The book itself was there to keep him sane. "Would you kindly not read over my shoulder?"

"I can't read it."

"You can't?" The paler boy raised a skeptical eyebrow. After all the notes he'd seen the brown-eyed boy take so fervently during lectures, he couldn't even sound it out?

"You can?" came the disbelieving response.

"Yes. That is why I'm reading it." Slow, simple sentences. He had to make sure Niwa understood.

"Oh," was all Daisuke could come up with and they both sat there in silence for a minute or so. "Could you teach me?"

"What?" Again, Satoshi's attention was forced off-page and he placed the book down, almost going as far as to take off his glasses to get a look at his peer.

"Please?" He clapped his hands together in front of his face, lowering his head pleadingly. "Grandpa's getting mad at me since I'm failing, but I don't get it at all! I'm trying, I really am, and I promise I won't take up a lot of your time, so–please? I–I'll pay you!"

Satoshi was going to refuse until the matter of payment was brought up. He wasn't greedy, but extra cash would always help. He studied Daisuke for a moment. He knew the boy wasn't the brightest, both in brains and sense, but he was sincere and of excellent moral character. He supposed he could help him out just this once. "Alright. Meet me here every morning before school at this time. I want $40 a week, to be paid on Mondays."

Daisuke radiated. "Deal!"

"Ok, how much do you already know?"

--

Krad, to put it simply, hated gym. He hated having to change; he hated having to go outside; he hated getting sweaty and tired; he hated showering in water that was either freezing or boiling with no in-between; and he _hated_ having to work with people he couldn't communicate with like a team. Luckily, there were no teams today. No, instead they were running track, a ploy to recruit more members for the team, no doubt.

As soon as the girl in front of him had left, the Hikari boy began to adjust his posture for the hundred meter. This wasn't the hard part, the worst would be the sprint. Even though he was more fit than he had been in America–he blamed the food–he was certain he was only going to embarrass himself.

The other males he was lined up with finished getting into position, one of them being that bastard. "Hey, Hikari-kun. Good luck." Krad rolled his eyes, missing the thumbs-up and the wink he was given by Dark, but not the sounds of several fan girls going absolutely berserk.

"On your marks." Dark continued to ramble on, but Krad blocked him out, focusing on the race and the voice of the teacher. He was a foreigner; he was cool; he had to be better than every one else. "Get set." no one else could win, no one but him. The desire filled him. "Go!" Without a second thought and for the first time in his life, Krad gave it his all.

--

"Have a good day, Hiwatari-kun!"

Satoshi, thoroughly startled, dropped his notebook on the floor. He gave a short sigh and bent to pick up the fallen binder only to have it placed in his hands as the thought crossed his mind. "Thanks," responded awkwardly to the other boy, who was grinning like an idiot. "I'll see you tomorrow, Niwa." He gathered up the rest of his things, only to have someone else approach him today.

"Umm, Hiwatari-kun, may I speak with you a moment?"

"What is it, sensei?"

--

"Hey, Krad."

'_**No**._'

"Kraaaad."

'_**Noooo**._'

"Kraddy!"

'_**Just leave me alone**._'

"Yo, Kraddlicious."

'_**Go away. I'm ignoring you**._'

"C'mon, Krad, stop ignoring me."

'_**No. Go home already**._'

"Please?"

'_**Stop following me**._'

"Tell me what's up already."

'_**No**._'

"Dammit, stop ignoring me."

'_**Please go away**._'

No matter how much he tried, telepathy didn't work on Dark, and the purple-haired teen grabbed Krad's arm in a ditch-attempt to get his attention. The blonde was still intent on ignoring him, but at least he wasn't going anywhere. "You've been sulking since Gym and I'm not gonna let go until you tell me what's up."

"Go away, Mousy-san." Krad yanked his arm away and tried walking again only to have his back making sudden contact with the wall that used to be on his right and hands gripping his arms just below the shoulders. A pair of angry, dark eyes bore into his surprised green ones. Absently, he noted Dark's eyes were a similar hue to his hair.

"Neither of us are going anywhere until you tell me what's wrong." Usually, Krad was sure Dark was very threatening to the other boys, but it was hard to use toughness on a foreigner a few inches taller. But now Krad was feeling very intimidated, and as the stare-down continued, the paler man wanted nothing more than to offer him money to make him leave him alone.

He decided it was worth a shot and tore away from those dangerous eyes, his gaze focusing on the pavement near his feet. "If I give you money, will you go away?" he asked in a quiet voice.

For a moment, Krad thought Dark was considering how much he could take until a slightly softer look covered the guy's face. The once vice-like grip on his arms loosened considerably. "Do you expect me to say yes?"

"Yeah," something about the way he was questioned made him feel ashamed. Worse was that it worked most of the time. He could pay them to come, and pay them to go, and all would be right in his world. "So how much?"

"You really think I want your money?" Dark continued incredulously.

Krad couldn't look him in the face, though he was surprised that Dark had asked a second time. "Don't you?"

"Krad, I'm your friend, and if you think I hang out with you because I think you'll pay me, then you've got the wrong idea." Krad jumped, startled at the heavy arm that thumped over his shoulders, stumbling a little as he was pulled along unexpectedly. Dark suddenly seemed a lot more cheerful. "Now, about what happened in class."

Krad had to force his face to cool, uncomfortable and indignant over both the arm across his shoulders and the recurring question. Figuring there was no avoiding it, he gave a short sigh. "I got 4th place in the sprint."

A puzzled look crossed Dark's face. "So? It's not like you got last. Satoyama still placed behind you.–"

"Because he _tripped_."

"–Besides, it doesn't even really matter. It's only Gym." Dark closed his eyes mock-solemnly, and opened one a crack to gauge the blonde's reaction. "Oh man, don't tell me you're one of those guys that has to be the best at everything."

"What if I am?" Krad's face contorted into a slightly peeved expression, eyebrows furrowing slightly as his eyes narrowed.

"Because no one can be best at everything. It'd be boring!" Dark gestured widely with his left arm, seeing as his right was occupied and he was a little afraid that if he let go, Krad would run away.

"How so?" This time, Krad honestly wanted to know Dark's albeit insane reasoning. No one had ever been this open with him before and although it was weird and unsettling, there was a warmth and comfort to the feeling as well. He wasn't sure if he liked it or not, but it'd be ok for now.

"There wouldn't be a challenge any more. You'd be perfect, and it'd get annoying real fast. You'd get sick of yourself." Dark made a face. "I'd get sick of you."

"**I'm already sick of myself, Mousy-san**," Krad muttered in English, not knowing he was thinking aloud.

"Huh?"

"Oh!" Krad slipped out of Dark's hold as smoothly as he could, relieved that the other didn't make a move to grab him again. In the back of his mind, he noticed that he didn't hesitate to put on a bright smile as if nothing had hit home. "Uh, I said I'll see you at school tomorrow, ok?"

"Alright," Dark answered slowly, not believing Krad's words for a second. As he watched the blonde walk away, he became very worried about his new friend. Somehow, he didn't really think he'd be seeing him at school the next day.

As soon as he turned the corner, Krad broke out into a sprint and didn't stop until he was stopped by the crossing signal.

"**You alright?**" Krad turned at the English phrase, still panting and wheezing to see another blonde at his side, nibbling on some pastry with a brown paper bag in his arm. "**Hikari-senpai, right?**" The shorter boy planted the treat in his mouth, freeing up his hand for a shake.

"**Um**… Yeah." He accepted the greeting awkwardly. At least this one seemed to be fluent in the language. "**I**… Who are you?"

The boy swallowed. "Satoshi Hiwatari. Are you alright? You look exhausted."

"Yeah. I was just… ditching someone."

"Me, too."

Krad raised an eyebrow at this, but didn't dare to comment. As soon as the light turned green, he was off. "See ya… Hiwatari-kun?"

"Maybe." Satoshi took another bite of the meat bun and continued his walk. So that was the infamous foreigner. Strange, he didn't look like much. At least he had finally rid himself of that teacher. Last thing he needed was an adult fussing about how skinny he was.

--

"Hey, Riku-chan, it's ok. You can go home now." Ritsuko watched as her best friend's sister went around the track a seventh time.

"But I need some more practice if I'm going to win that meet next week." Truthfully, she was exhausted and sharp breaths punctuated her speech, but she had to get better. She had to win.

"You're not going to win like that. C'mon, let's go grab something to eat." As Riku came by an eighth time, she grabbed her hand and dragged her away. "You look like you could use some rest."

"But Ritsuko-chan."

"Riku-chan, the sun's almost down, it's seven o'clock, you've been running that stupid track for three hours. Go home."

"Ok."

--

Risa picked at a lock of hair and watched it studiously. It was an odd thing, how the light reflected off her hair and gave it that auburn shine. So very interestingly uninteresting. Her chocolate eyes switched to the phone, silently demanding it to ring. She wanted to talk to someone, anyone. "I wonder when Riku's getting home."

--

"Riku-chan," the admonishing voice came and the lighter-haired twin almost cringed.

"I'm going, I'm going. I just have to get my bag first, ok?" She gave a small wave to her friend before jogging off to the classroom. She could finish her daily training off the track, she decided as she retrieved the bag. She'd go home alright, but that didn't mean she wouldn't circle the block a few times first. It was ridiculous how quickly she was falling behind all those boys. If she wanted to compete, she'd have to get a lot better, and soon. The question was how.

As she rounded the block a third time, she spotted a flash of blonde hair and fumbled with her steps, somehow managing not to fall as the face came into view. '_Hiwatari-kun? But I thought he lived on the other side of town. What's he doing here so late?_' Blue eyes caught her mud-colored ones before the teen hoisted his pack and paper bag into more comfortable positions and began to approach her. "Harada-san? You look a little pale."

"Hm? O-oh, I'm fine. I've just been running a lot, and–"

"Here." She looked down, embarrassed to see Satoshi holding out a water bottle. "You really should take better care of yourself, Harada-san. Why don't you head home?" The distance in his speech and voice had always unnerved the girl, ever since grade school, but it was even creepier one-on-one.

"What about you?" she asked almost timidly. "Shouldn't you be going home?"

Something changed on his face, but she couldn't tell what; all she knew was that she didn't like it. "I'll be home soon. Take care, I'll see you in the morning."

"See ya, Hiwatari-kun."

* * *

AN: Gosh, Sato-kun's just everywhere today, isn't he? Don't worry, he's not stalking... much. Reviews, please? 


	4. Week One, Friday: Training

AN: From now on, what people say in English (specifically Krad) with be in **bold text** for your reading pleasure. I am also going back and editing some interesting errors (like Satoshi's magically changing hair colors) and implementing this change on the other chapters. This should be done by the end of the day.

* * *

Satoshi entered the classroom to find Daisuke already there, textbooks and all, nibbling on something that was probably entirely too sweet for breakfast. The redhead swallowed quickly, sending a wide grin towards the blond. "Morning, Hiwatari-kun." 

"Good morning." He sat in his chair, finally close enough to tell that the half-eaten thing was absolutely drowned in sugars and syrups and the like. The smell of something that may have been known as coffee in a previous life emerged from two large Styrofoam cups, as well as something overwhelmingly saccharine from a brown paper sack between them. "How can you eat something like that?"

Something between surprise and depression passed over the innocent face, making Satoshi curious. "Oh, you don't like doughnuts?" the annoying cheer somehow remained in the disappointed voice, intriguing the blue-eyed teen further. "I'm sorry. I guess I should have asked first, huh? Umm, what do you eat for breakfast, Hiwatari-kun?"

"I don't usually eat breakfast," the taller admitted, only making an expression of shock fall on the brown-eyed boy's face.

"Y–you don't? How! I mean, don't you get hungry? Are you a robot or something? Gosh, you eat almost nothing for lunch, and you don't have breakfast–you _do_ eat dinner, right?"

Satoshi definitely didn't like the short breakdown, and had leaned away as the Niwa had come closer. Something about the… passion in the boy scared the crap out of him and he wanted nothing more than to find a way to avoid him for the rest of the day. Fat chance of that. "Yes."

"Ok," Daisuke seemed very placated and relieved by the short response, but an air of sadness remained around him and Hiwatari couldn't figure out what it was until he cast a forlorn glance towards the bag/cup clutter.

"You brought that for me, didn't you," no question. There was no doubt in his mind that's what happened. When he was answered by a nod, he snatched up the partially crumpled sack and looked in, choosing the most healthy-looking of the pastries and taking a pointed bite out of it, making a conscious effort not the cringe just looking at it, following up with a sip of heavily sweetened coffee. Last thing he needed was to tutor a depressed happy boy.

As expected, Daisuke's demeanor immediately brightened. "You–you like it? It's not too weird, is it?"

"It's a little sweet."

"Alright, I'll make sure to get you a plain one next time."

"You really don't–"

"But I _want_ to!"

"… Alright. Ok, so this is an _A_."

"A."

"Good, now this one is…"

--

Krad had always liked to watch people. He would sit on a bench and observe the people that pass him by for hours. There would be ladies in the most conservative of clothes, young boys with seemingly impossible colors and shapes in their hair, perky blondes, quiet people with brown eyes, people with glasses, people having fights over the phone, people on skateboards, and the ones he almost wanted to reach out to: the ones who looked as if they'd jump in front of the next car that passed. It would have been weird though, so he never did it; luckily, he hadn't witnessed a suicide just yet.

Not that he didn't feel much like jumping in front of a bus at this very moment. He wanted to know exactly _how_ those girls had found out where he had lived, and why they felt the need to stalk him there and ambush him this morning.

It was weird. He had always wanted friends, but only the ones he had to pay to keep. He wanted to chose only what he felt was best. He had a few of them already, but he also had the ones that annoyed him to death and for no sum of money would ever, ever, _ever_ leave him alone.

Like fan girls and Dark Mousey.

The fan girls he could just throw a shirt at and escape in the other direction. Dark was a little more tricky. He had to actually satisfy his needs and pretend to care about him and talk to him and–God! Dark was like a puppy for all he was worth. A puppy he wanted nothing more than to stick in the pound and forget.

As he approached the school, the object of his thoughts came into view. As was usual, he was surrounded by females, some of which seemed very clingy, and flirting openly with all of them. Krad shook his head and attempted to pass by unnoticed. Unfortunately, fate hated him.

"Krad!" The blonde fought down a scream as a 'friendly' hand slammed down on his back, effectively and painfully numbing the area. "How are ya?"

"Mousey-san," he turned around, bottling his rage for the moment and playing the friend. He knew telepathy didn't work, so he didn't even try as a tanned arm snaked around his shoulders. "Good morning."

Suspicious movement caught Krad's eye and he looked beyond the purple-haired waste of space. "Wanna go grab some breakfast?" Oh, God. The fan girls were giggling, squealing, and pointing. Not good, not good, not good.

"Um, I already ate." This was absolutely terrifying. Someone pulled out a cell phone and took a picture with the camera, several following their example not a moment later.

"Yeah? Well, damn. Maybe tomorrow?"

"Uh, yeah, sure."

"_Don't they just look so cute together?"_

"_The best ones are always gay."_

Oh no they didn't. He might not have liked people, but that didn't make him gay. As he was about to rectify the situation, Dark took the liberty of dragging the blonde away. Where to? Class. Go figure.

--

It was lunch, he had a meat bun to enjoy, but the gods had other plans. "Hey, Hiwatari-kun. Can I talk to you?" Satoshi swallowed his bite and adjusted his gaze to view probably the most popular girl in his grade: Risa. She seemed nervous. Shit.

"Alright." Apparently, she wasn't satisfied with speaking within the bounds of classroom and after asking quite sweetly, convinced the blond to follow her out to the hall. "What is it, Harada-san?" he didn't bother to mask the slight exasperation in his voice as he crossed his arms and leaned against the wall.

"I," eye contact was established, "umm," and broken. As if closing her eyes gave her some reassurance, she slammed them shut and blurted out her question all in one breath. "Would you go out with me?"

Satoshi's blue eyes widened, pupils shrinking to almost nothing. The Great Risa Harada wanted to go out with _him_? The biggest nerd in class? What could have possibly–? "What?"

"You–you're handsome, and a gentleman, and smart, and kind. And, um, I like you," in her nervousness, she looked increasingly ashamed as her reasoning came to a finish. "I–I don't know why, but there's something about you. Like how you're all quiet all the time, and how–"

"That's enough," he cut her off, too embarrassed and perplexed to listen anymore. He was pretty sure he had pinpointed her real reasoning and he had no reason not to inform her of her true motives. He even removed his glasses to be sure he was seeing her and not some kind of trick of the glass. "Did your friends put you up to this?"

"No!" She shook her head roughly, as if desperate for him to believe her. "Why would–I'm asking because I want to. I–" suddenly, she was the quietest he'd ever seen her. "I love you."

Satoshi closed his eyes and leaned against the wall, hearing the girl following his example. This was completely unexpected. He'd thought she was going to ask him to tutor, and now this. He hadn't even thought of her like that. It wasn't convenient, logical, or theoretically possible. He couldn't imagine himself in any kind of relationship. He could see it becoming so one-sided and depressing.

And no matter how much he considered it, he couldn't find a way to feel for the girl that way. "I'm sorry, Harada-san. I can't do that." Out of the corner of his eye, he saw her turn to him, looking hurt. "I can't go out with you."

"W–why? It's not like–you're not gay are you?"

That made the boy inwardly flinch. Just because he didn't want to go out with her, he was automatically a homosexual. Yeah, sure, it was just like that; in her little brain. "I'm just not interested in anyone right now. And I'm afraid I don't have time for a girlfriend right now." He pushed himself off the wall and began to walk away. "Now if you'll excuse me."

As the door slid shut, Risa let out a groan. What was _wrong_ with that Hiwatari boy? How could he refuse her? Especially after that 5-star performance. There was no way! She could ask any other boy, and he'd agree in a heartbeat. This just wasn't–it wasn't _right!_ Something was up. But she didn't worry. She'd get him one way or another.

--

He didn't want to. He knew he'd regret it later. He definitely didn't want to; but it had to be done. "Mousey-san?"

"Yeah?" the dark-haired boy answered with a mouthful of food. Fortunately, Krad avoided the small spray of half-chewed food.

He sucked it up and decided to ask, hoping that things were different in Japan than in America. "What's wrong with those girls?"

"Which ones?" Krad pointed to a giggling, stalkerish brood that were eying them with a frightening gleam to their eyes. Dark glanced over curiously, swallowed, and deemed it appropriate to burst out laughing. Krad fumed.

"I don't see what's so funny! They've been following me everywhere and won't tell me what they want."

Dark wiped a tear from his eye. "They're your fan girls, Krad."

"Get rid of them," he felt like he was a snooty twelve-year-old ordering the servants around for fun all over again. The shorter man only started laughing again, making the blond flush in indignation. "I'm serious! Make them go away. I don't need them following me around like that. It's weird."

"Sorry, Krad. You're the cool foreigner. I'd be very impressed if you _ever_ got rid of them." He was about to chuckle again when he caught the odd look in those green eyes. The arrogant teen settled on smirking. "Look, you'll get used to it. They'll try to give you stuff and get you to give them things. You shouldn't accept anything from them or give them anything unless you want a rumor going around that you like one of them. They'll follow you everywhere, but if you ignore them _completely,_ a few of them will eventually leave. But do you want to know how to get rid of almost all of them?"

"How?" This bit of information interested the Hikari boy and he was willing to pay any sum of money to get it.

"Become a regular Japanese person," at this point, he couldn't hold it in and had to finish in a fit of noisy hooting: "or go back to America."

"Mousey-san!"

"Sorry, Krad, but I've never seen someone so against the idea of having fans before. You're rich, you're hott, hell, you're just a really popular guy around here, but you act like you don't want it–"

"I _don't_ want it!"

"–Anyone would kill to be in your position."

"They can have it," Krad sniffed, crossing his arms and leaning back against the wall. "I just want them to leave me alone."

"Like how you wanted me to leave you alone yesterday?" Krad looked away quickly, still embarrassed over it. "Oh, that's right. Krad?" The blond looked back over. "How would you like if I told you I found a way to make you faster?"

Krad gauged the suspicious statement before standing as if to head for class. "Forget it, I'm not taking any drugs, Mousey-san."

"Nope, not drugs. Training." The conspiratorial grin that crossed Dark's face screamed 'Danger' in Krad's mind. "Meet me at the front gate after school."

--

Satoshi left the campus as soon as he was able. If he hurried, he could be gone before he had a chance to run into anyone. The last thing he needed today was to have someone bothering him, like Sensei or Niwa. If the teacher was smart enough to pick up on small changes in his physique, and Daisuke cared enough to worry that he didn't eat enough, there was no doubt in his mind that he'd have a redhead for a stalker very soon. And that would probably end very badly.

In his mind, he went over what he wanted to eat for dinner and lunch the next day, along with anything he was running low on. Like shampoo; yes, he should buy some more today. As he looked for one without a noticeable scent, he reminded himself that he'd have to be very careful from now on.

He couldn't afford to have any more people care about him.

--

Surprisingly, Dark was already waiting for Krad when he got to the large, iron gates of the school. Who knew the teen was the kind of person to be on time to anything? "Hey Krad" was all that was said for the first few minutes of the trek.

"Where are you taking me, anyway?" Krad asked, not liking the silence and curiosity building, as much as he hated to admit it.

"My house," Dark answered in an almost objective tone.

Krad, however, was not amused. "I'm going to train… at your house?"

"Yup!" The blond wanted to wipe the grin off that tanned face. "You'll see in a bit." There was about ten more minutes of walking before they turned into a lawn. Well, Dark did. Krad proceeded to stare at the way the junkyard of a yard contrasted with the perfect white walls and picket fence. "Come on, the grass won't hurt you."

"What grass?" the green-eyed boy replied sardonically, but joined his classmate at the front door.

"Ok, it's easy. You open the door, go in, and try to make it to the other side of the house without dieing.–"

"Wait what?–"

"Got that?–"

"Wait a sec'! Why would I die?!–"

"Ok, ready–"

"No, Mousey-san, Mousey-san!"

"Go!"

"Dark!" The door was flung open and Krad was shoved inside, door slamming behind him as he flew into the entrance. That was the least of his worries, as Krad quickly found himself lacking a floor, barely managing to grasp the edge of the hardwood floor before tumbling into oblivion. "**What the–**?!" '_What kind of place is this?_' "Dark!" no response came and his arms were beginning to feel the strain of suspending him for any period of time. Deciding he didn't need to employ use of a language he barely knew, Krad proceeded to curse in his native language, "**Bastard**."

With a grunt, he managed to get an elbow over the outcrop, making it easier to pull himself up, not holding back in his vulgar complaining. When he finally got hold of that Dark, he was going to make him pay, or so help him–

Just as he had begun to consider a normal breathing pattern, something shot out of a wall and whizzed by, just an inch away from his ear, clipping a few stray hairs. "**Shit**." As if that was the signal, thousands of sharp, pointy objects followed their companion into attempting to pierce the blond, a bet running between the knives on which would be first to draw blood.

Krad lunged forward, narrowly avoiding another trap door, and some sort of fire-based trap, and holy shit–were those robots? He didn't stop running until he made it through the back door, hair fried, pieces of clothing torn, a shoe missing–he might have been bleeding somewhere, but he didn't have time to check before the dogs would have gotten him–only to fall victim to the final trap. The vice wrapped around his neck and a cloth smothered his face, making breathing impossible. A high-pitched squeal attacked his senses. "Dark, you did great! You were slow to start, but I've never seen you move so fast!"

"Shit, mom!"

"Dark? Then who–? You're not Dark!" Krad–exhausted, overdosed in adrenaline, and lacking oxygen–feinted.

--

"So he turned you down?"

"Yeah," Risa leaned back over her bed, head hanging upside-down as she chatted with Ritsuko over the phone. "I don't get it. How could he _not_ like me?"

"I don't know, Risa-pii. Maybe he's gay."

"I already asked him that." She rolled over, perplexed over Satoshi's actions earlier in the day. "He just said he wasn't interested in anyone right now."

"Maybe he has different tastes."

"Huh?"

"Maybe he likes paler girls, or ones with black hair or something."

"Omigosh! You're right. We have to find out what kind of girl he likes."

Ritsuko giggled over the phone. "I'll tell the others. We can start on it tomorrow."

"Alright. Bye."

"Bye!"

--

There were voices. That was the first thing he knew. "Geeze, mom, way to welcome the guest."

"Hey, you need to warn me when you bring someone over! We could have killed him."

He recognized both of them, but he wasn't sure where for a minute. "Nah, I don't think Krad can die."

Everything returned in a rush and a feeling of dread washed over him. "Is that his name?"

"Yeah. Hikari Krad. He's a foreigner."

"Kyaaaa!"

That was all it took to bring Krad entirely into the world of the living. His eyes flashed open, only for him to regret the action and slam them back shut. "**My head**…"

"Kyaaaa! Is that English?" That painful, grating voice.

"**Shut up**."

"It is, it is, it is, it is! I–I have to call Tari-chan! She'll never believe this." A series of footsteps and all was still for a minute. That is, until Dark decided to play the good guy.

"You ok?" He helped his rather pathetic-looking friend to sit up as he asked in the quietest voice he could muster. Krad had never known there was a half-decent bone in the boy's body.

Krad groaned, allowing the weight of his throbbing head to rest in his palms, elbows propped up on his knees. "You and your mom just tried to kill me, Mousey-san. Do you really think I'm ok?" He wasn't even going to pretend he liked the teen anymore. He was going out and getting a restraining order the moment he was free. Did they even do restraining orders in Japan? His head hurt too much to think right now.

"We didn't try to kill you. Mom was trying to kill me, and I was just trying to help."

"Help me what? Die?" He was beyond being kind or nice or even a good person. He just wanted to call up his butler and order a ride home. Home being America. No more of this crazy country with homicidal stalkers. Nice, safe, violent USA. He would rather go home and be mugged than stay and have to endure this. "Thank you, but I could have done that myself."

There was a short silence. "Do you want to?"

"No!" He whipped his head around to send an angry stare the other's way. How dare that Dark-person imply that Krad wanted to kill himself? He was a member of a highly wealthy family. He had everything he ever wanted. Why on _earth_ would he _ever_ want to kill himself? "I don't know about you, but I'm not some kind of suicidal moron!"

"Fine, whatever!" Krad jumped, a little surprised that Dark was shouting. Mr. Popular, the one who had probably dated most of the female population in school, the personification of every female's dreams, was loosing his cool in front of the _gaijin_. He stomped over to the door and flung it open. "If I'm such a moron, then why don't you just go?" Krad didn't move. "What? Look–" he stomped a few times "–the floor ain't going anywhere. You can just get up and go."

"You're not… going to threaten me into silence?" he chose his words carefully, eyebrows furrowing into confusion. "Nothing? Just let me go?"

"Well, yeah! We're not kidnapping you or anything. You're so–" Dark groaned loudly, beyond growling point, throwing his arms into the air for good measure "–You're so damn full of yourself, Krad!" The violet-haired teen blew a lock of hair out of his face, huffing, crossing his arms, and turning his head away childishly. Damn paranoid immigrant.

The blond didn't dare to move just yet. There had to be a trap or a catch or something. The moment he stood, that crazy lady was going to fire a gun in his face and they were just waiting for him to get into position. Still, there was something wrong with that theory, something in the back of his skull that told him he could trust Dark. He wanted to silence that something permanently. And what was this about him being full of himself. Hikari Krad was _not_–ok, maybe he was arrogant. "Really?"

Dark turned to glare at him, having several choice words to fling in his face, only to stop a bit short, calming a bit at the confusion written on his friend's face. "You really think we're going to do something to you, don't you?" Krad nodded, gaze dropping to his lap. "Did something like–"

"Tea's on!" The evil, scary woman popped back into the room with three drinks and a pile of cookies on a tray. She plopped down on the couch next to Krad, somehow keeping everything from falling in the process, before setting the platter on the low table. Krad tried to scoot away discreetly. "Hikari-kun, you feeling alright, dear?" Said dear stared back quietly, holding a genuine fear for the lady that apparently attempted to murder her son on a regular basis. "I'm Emiko. Oh! **You speak Japanese, yes**?"

"I think I do, Mousey-san," Krad responded carefully. He didn't want to anger her in any way. Dark just laughed.

--

"**Thank you. … That would be great.** **…** **No, that's alright.** **…** **Ok, bye**." Krad hung up the phone with a sigh. As soon as his driver got here, he could go home. He would have started walking by now, but he had no idea how to get home from where he was, and didn't want to end up having to spend the night in a park or something. He glanced sideways only to see Dark leering at him, putting him in an immediate bad mood. "What?"

"You're afraid of my mom," the teen answered smugly.

He instantly jumped to his own defense. "I–I am not! She's just weird, ok? Besides, you never told me what that whole thing with the traps was about. Is she trying to kill you?"

"Nope. It's training."

That's just great. Dark broke his brain. That's exactly what he needed. "What?"

"I'm going to be a great thief someday, and I can't do that unless I'm in top shape."

"Wait a minute, back up. Your mom's helping you train to… steal?" He was answered with a nod. "Is your whole family insane?"

Dark chuckled, but this time it didn't rub Krad the wrong way. Just the opposite, he was intrigued. It was something about the expression on his face and the way his voice lowered as if it was something he found very precious to him. "She doesn't like it, but mom wants to support me. She just wants me to be happy, and she'll do whatever she can to make sure I am, even encourage and help me break the law, because…" he trailed off, smiling a secret smile that Krad wasn't very sure he liked.

"Because…" he prompted, curious to know and not wanting to all the same. It was like fast food, you want it because it seems good, but it ends up killing you in the end.

"Because she loves me. And she doesn't want me to have to settle for anything less than the best, even if it is something immoral." Silence signaled the end of his spiel and Krad leaned against the wall, thinking about everything Dark said. It had hurt hearing it, but it was somehow nice to learn all the same–that there were mothers in the world like Emiko that would turn their whole house into a gauntlet if it would make her son happy.

Dark studied Krad's reaction when no response came. "What about you?"

"What about me?" Krad tossed back with an impassive shrug.

"You never say anything about yourself. What's your mom like?"

Krad scoffed quietly, shaking his head. "My mom's dead."

"Oh," Dark responded dumbly. That was probably a bad sign, the first personal thing he learned from the blond and it was something so negative. "I'm sorry."

"Don't," he requested quietly. Last thing the emerald-eyed teen needed was pity. "It's ok. I never knew her or anything, so there's nothing to miss, right?" Dark wanted to tell him he was wrong, that there was a lot to miss out on and that everyone should have a mother-figure at least, but he never had the chance. The doorbell rang. "That's my ride." Krad slipped on his shoes without bending over to tend to them, opening the door to reveal the graying man. "I'll see you tomorrow, Mousey-san."

"Dark."

Krad paused uncertainly, before tossing back a kind of smile, one he wasn't sure he had ever worn before, Dark returning with one of his own. "Dark-san," he agreed and was gone.


	5. Week One, Saturday: Questioning

AN: Yes, I have been including Satoshi in a lot, but it will slow down, I promise. I dunno, maybe Sato's easier for me to write or something. Anyway, starting next chapter, it'll definately focus on a different character, so don't worry too much.

And yes, I _so_ went there at the end. Anyone who knows me in real life will get this.

* * *

"Shoot! You were first again?"

"Yup."

"It's four-thirty in the morning!"

"I have no life."

* * *

Dark, having survived morning training, panted in the doorway for a moment before straightening up. He'd be sure to thank Krad later. Because an untrained apparently out of shape friend was able to get through "with no trouble at all", Emiko had decided it fit to make the traps five times more difficult and three times less amusing. He looked up and figured that his mom had used drugs in the weapons this morning, because there was no way there was a limo sitting in front of his house.

Cautiously, he approached it. If this was another trap, he wasn't about to drop into the sewer and smell for the rest of the day. "Dark-san, stop poking it and get in." Krad's voice came from the recently rolled-down window. "It's not going to bite you."

Dark obeyed, sitting across from the blond, and it was only when they started moving that he spoke up. "A limo, Krad?"

He leaned his head against the cool glass, half watching the town pass him by. "Only until about three blocks from campus. We walk from there."

"You do this every morning?" Dark's disbelieving voice begged for attention and Krad was in a mood to oblige.

"If we rode it all the way, I'd get a lot of unwanted attention."

Suddenly, Dark's entire demeanor changed to something sly. "Aren't you worried about your fan girls finding out?"

"Shut up," Krad would have chuckled if he wasn't so intent on not doing so and playfully fwapped the other teen with his book bag.

* * *

"Niwa?" Satoshi asked after making sure the redhead's handwriting was ok.

"Yeah?" his tongue hung partially out as he concentrated on making the perfect Q. Stupid round characters with space limits and hooks in the most inconvenient places.

He was going to regret it, he knew. Later, he would blame it on drugs slipped into his black coffee or mostly tasteless doughnut. Whatever it was, it must have been illegal. "What do you know about Harada-imouto?"

"Why?" Gratefully, Daisuke removed his attention from the paper before him to ensure that Hiwatari knew he was listening.

He sent out a noncommittal shrug. "She asked me out yesterday at lunch."

"What did you do?"

"I turned her down."

"Oh." Daisuke removed his pencil from his mouth and somehow managed to remind the blond of an embarrassed puppy with a cold. What the heck? "Well, I--"

"Morning, Sato-puu!" Satoshi flinched at the utter mutilation of his name, hoping it was just some incredibly confused foreigner, only to see a black-haired, green-eyed Risa Harada with her uniform altered in several ways that were certainly against the rules. Against all reason and the laws of physics, she spanned 30 feet without moving and latched painfully onto his arm. He flinched. A boy standing in the doorway feinted from a nosebleed as her skirt flapped in the artificial breeze. Nobody noticed. "How are you, **darling**?"

Everyone had thought Satoshi was pale before, but he may have been an Albino for all they could tell by now. "Harada-san… What…?"

"I brought you lunch! And breakfast! Aaaand dinner!" She pulled a box out of her backpack and held it out slightly, only to remove the lid and attempt to feed the once dignified Hiwatari, despite his unintelligible protests. "Open up and say Aaaah!"

"Harada--"

"The train's coming in the station."

Frustrated and beyond politeness, he smacked away the spoon and whatever that was in it out of her hand, upsetting the other into dropping the meal all over the floor. The cornered look Satoshi had been wearing a moment ago was replaced by a strong disapproval, but not quite hatred; he couldn't bring himself to hate anyone. "I don't know what you're trying to pull, but don't do it again. I don't want you to feed me. I don't want you bringing me food. I don't want you hanging on me or calling me names. We are not going out. I don't like you that way; you don't like me that way. Just leave me alone and end this stupid joke before people start believing you." And with half of the class watching, and some from the neighboring rooms, the blue-eyed boy left the room.

Risa just watched him go, surprise never washing off her face. Just as she bent to start to clean up the mess her breakfast had made, she noticed Daisuke on the floor. "Niwa-kun? What are you doing?"

"I'm just picking this up." He sent her a beaming smile, before blushing and returning to the task at hand. From his angle, he had caught more of her legs than he had wanted or was prepared to handle, and now there was no difference between his hair and face. "You--you can sit down if you like, Harada-san."

"But I--" She had made the mess, and even though it wasn't uncommon to see the brown-eyed boy tidying up, he certainly wasn't required to clean up after her.

"It's alright, Harada-san. I'm almost done, anyway." Luckily, not much of the food was either small or liquid, so he wouldn't need a rag.

"Alright. Um, thanks Niwa-kun." '_Weirdo._'

"No problem."

* * *

She almost bit the end off her eraser, watching all that. Niwa was being Niwa, Risa was going to be in _so_ much trouble when she got home, and Hiwatari had said more than he had for the past three years in that one spiel.

It was like her younger sister to obsess over a guy, but not like this. What was it that made Satoshi so special? Why would she go so far after only a couple days? She couldn't actually like him, right? She was just waiting to get older so she could go out with that pervert she had a shrine of in her closet. Or was she after another one?

Riku shrugged, not really interested in or able to keep up with her twin's odd fanatical ways, and concentrated on making math make sense. She had to keep her grades up.

* * *

He didn't know how it happened, or why, or even if it was possible, but he was. Satoshi Hiwatari, a Freshman, was sitting next to Krad Hikari, a Senior and a foreigner, playing translator so the taller male could take notes and survive the Japanese school system. It had started when he was passing the class, still fuming over that Harada girl, when he had heard the teacher and the elder blond having an argument. There was a mentioning of English and various other languages, the teen being a poor student, and the teacher apparently recognizing Satoshi from the doorway. Without him knowing, Satoshi must have joined the English Club and volunteered to assist Krad in his school work.

Now, he was sitting next to the relieved American, whispering a translation of everything that was said almost mindlessly, and not caring that he was missing his own class. It had finally happened; he'd gone insane. He could hear the flushing as his sanity went down the toilet when the class was dismissed for gym.

Krad let out a grateful sigh and began to put his things away. "Hiwatari-kun, right?"

"**Yes**?" Satoshi was prepared to go back to his own teacher and explain his absence, when he was stopped by mere words. It seemed he wasn't all that motivated to return, after all. Well, not with that Harada girl in class, anyway.

"**Thanks for doing this for me. It's really helped a lot**." Satoshi could tell it was hard for the older boy to thank people and admit he needed help by the way he paused and his face contorted in thought as he put together his words, even though they were speaking in his native language.

"**No problem**," he shrugged it off disinterestedly as they began walking down the hall with the other students.

"**How much do I owe you**?" That almost made the genius stop in his tracks. Krad thought he had to pay him? He considered it for a moment, but he was already milking the Niwa for cash and he didn't need to take some from anyone else. Still, he could spread it around and make it $20 from both of them each week.

Somehow, he just couldn't do it. He must have been coming down with something. "**Nothing. I'm getting extra credit for this anyway**." So he lied through his teeth, the foreigner didn't have to know.

"**Alright**…" And then suddenly, there was no more Krad, only the form of a purple-haired ladies' man and a blue-faced, blond-haired suffocating mess.

"Mousey-senpai, foreigners need air, too."

"Shut up, pipsqueak."

* * *

Riku finished her extra laps after most of the class had returned to the locker room. That's what she got for spacing out, or rather it was the fruit of her clever plan. By pretending to be disinterested and making the teacher angry, she could get in an extra practice during school hours. If she played her cards right, she might even miss the entire math lecture. This was just great!

Then, out came Niwa, trying to carry hurdles, stumbling and swaying and struggling under the weight until the elder Harada felt it necessary to acknowledge him. "Niwa-kun?"

"Huh?" the abominable stack of gym equipment paused and managed to stand in one place without faltering. Then, the mess that was Daisuke's head popped out around the pile. "Oh! Hello, Harada-san. Did sensei make you do extra laps again today?"

"Uh-huh," she responded cheerfully as she began to walk over. "What are you doing?"

"I'm just helping set up for the next class. They're jumping hurdles today."

"I didn't think you were on duty today. (Hand me a couple, ok? Those are heavy)."

"(No thanks. I got it). No, it was Harada-san's and Saehara's day, but these are too heavy for Harada-san and Saehara has Journalism Class right now."

Riku almost exploded, knowing it was just like the two to dump duties like that, but why always on Niwa? "So they made you carry it?" Now that she thought about it, he never seemed to mind, or even object to being made to do everyone else's work. She had to admit she thought about dumping things on him every so often. Maybe it was just the kind of person he was.

"No, I volunteered. Harada-san tried, though, but she could only drag one at--" his hands were sweatier than he thought and the entire stack slipped from his fingers and onto the pavement, making both teens jump back in surprise. "Oh gosh, sorry. I'm such a klutz!"

Riku chuckled as she started picking some up along with the redhead, much to his objections. "It's alright; these are kinda heavy."

"It's alright, Harada-san," he tried to get her to concede the plastic/wooden hybrids, even going so far as to try to lift them out of her arms, "I got it, really."

"Niwa-kun," the brunette deadpanned, "Let me carry the stupid hurdles."

And Niwa 'eeped'. "Yes, ma'am."

* * *

Satoshi walked out with the Seniors to the field. There had been some debate about whether or not he should be required to participate, since it wasn't really class, but in the end, the teacher decided that he was required his daily PE class. So here he was, setting up to try and outrun boys older, stronger, and faster than him, while jumping over things that were as tall as his legs were long. Things that the elder Harada and Niwa were setting up at the moment. It wasn't unusual to see the redhead take on the responsibilities of others, but usually the sporty twin was one of the duty-neglecters.

They cleared out, though, shortly after the final hurdle was set, chatting all the way back to the building. The gym teacher decided he absolutely had to have everyone's attention at that point. "Ok! First set line up!"

Resigning himself and eager to get it over with, he approached the line and fell into the familiar stance. As he glanced to his right and left, he found one familiar face: Hikari Krad. Beyond him, some athletic-looking boys, on the other side, more athletic boys. Hooray. As if he wasn't outclassed enough already. Then, he noticed his competition in a more calculating eye. Sure, the boys had athletic builds, but it seemed like it was mostly arm-strength, or the bulky muscles of a soccer player. If he could time it right, he could end up ahead on the leaps. Yes, that was the plan.

And it was a good plan, too, until his foot caught on the last hurdle and sent him sprawling on the asphalt in a most undignified manner. Once again, he was proven to be weak, and Satoshi dwelled on the thought for a moment, using the guise of gaining his bearings while the others finished the race.

Then, something unexpected happened.

As he moved to rise, he discovered a hand in front of his nose, making his eyes go cross to see it properly. "**You did real good, Hiwatari-kun.**"

As he realized it was the foreigner, offering him help up, he shook his head slowly, ignoring the hand as he rose to his feet. He didn't need help; he didn't want help. He wasn't so weak or hurt that he couldn't stand on his own, and so long as he _could_ stand on his own, he wouldn't be accepting help to do so. "Yeah…"

He moved to leave the track and the taller blond stared after him for a moment, confused at first, but understood after a moment. Honestly, he could easily see him as a younger brother, and the younger was the exact same as he always thought a brother of his would be. Krad shook his head, knowing he was often just the same and sat next to the underclassman on the grass to watch the others run. Maybe this arrangement wasn't too bad after all. **"So what are you doing this afternoon?"**

The blue eyes, visible despite the thick glasses and glaring sun, managed to avoid the emerald ones. **"Nothing much, why?"**

Krad shook his head, leaning back on his hands and looking up at the sky as if admiring the clouds or checking the weather--a pose he was sure he hadn't adopted in a while. The energy left over from his run buzzed around, waiting for release, but he maintained enough control to still be the calm boy he usually was. **"I dunno. I thought we might do something after school or something."**

The suspicion that Satoshi allowed on his face was easy for the foreigner to read. Why me, it asked. What are you planning? What more are you going to do to try and embarrass me? **"What is there to do?"**

Krad allowed a small, coaxing smile. **"I was hoping you could tell me. I just moved here a while ago."**

"**I don't know, either."** Hiwatari leaned forward, resting his weight on his legs, but not wrapping his arms around them as he was tempted to do. Feeling the need to elaborate, he continued: **"I don't really get out much."**

Something in the statement, the way his voice sedated even further, or how the younger boy's entire body seemed to slump at the mention of the fact that he was mostly at school or home struck Krad as concerning, as his own energy drained a bit. **"Why not--"**

"Oi, Krad!" Dark's voice interrupted as the purple-haired boy waved excitedly from the starting line. "Watch me race!"

"I'm watching," the blond replied before sneaking a glance towards his underclassman, only to find him gone.

* * *

Satoshi finished changing and leaned against his closed locker, confused and a little curious. What would make someone like Krad want to hang out with him after school? Why would anyone want to? Why were people taking interest in him all of a sudden? First the teacher, then Niwa, then Harada, now Hikari. What made them reach out to him like this? Sure, it might have been the teacher's job, and maybe Niwa was honestly just looking for help, and being his over-caring self, maybe it was in character for him to be concerned for him every once in a while. But Harada?

She was just some fashion drone, right? She had no reason to go for the nerd. He had made sure that he was of no interest to any girl early on, and it had worked up 'til now.

And Hikari, maybe he was just crazy like foreigners were supposed to be.

Firm in his reasoning, Satoshi let himself slump to the floor, having managed to depress himself a little more. There was no reason for him to care for anyone, no reason for him to be cared for by anyone. He didn't need anyone, and they didn't need him.

No one… Never.

So why did it start hurting now?

* * *

Krad and Dark returned to the locker room, Krad half-listening to Dark's babble on how easy it was for him to win, and how he had to hold himself back to make sure he didn't stand out too much, and how surprised he was that Krad had gotten second in his race, and how damn proud he was, and--Krad let out a strangled sound as Dark clapped his back--how he would thank his mom on his behalf for making him a better runner overnight.

The green eyes traveled to Satoshi's locker only to find the boy not there, and he was a little disappointed. Finally, he found someone at the school that he would have liked to hang out with on a regular basis, and he did something to scare him off. He changed back to his school clothes numbly, responding dumbly to Dark's spiels every now and then.

Maybe it wasn't such a bad thing that it would rain later that day.

* * *

"I'm home!" He called cheerfully into the house, like he did everyday. "Dad, Grandpa, you home?" He removed his shoes and placed them in their rightful position, adopting his sky blue slippers just like every day. He left his backpack at the foot of the stairs and went into the kitchen to look for some milk and cookies, just like every day.

He startled his father, who was concentrating on something at the table. Not just like every day. Daisuke's eyebrows furrowed in concern.

"Oh, Dai-chan," the elder man shoved into one pile, laughing and smiling as he shuffled the folded sheets. "I must have spaced out. How was school?"

"What were you looking at?" he let himself pry just a little as he snuck a peak around the uncharacteristically muscled body of his father. Red ink?

"Nothing, Dai. Just some mail, that's all." He pushed the papers a little more out of view, still remaining cheerful in a much more sedated way than his son usually did. "Why don't you get started on homework, and I'll look into some dinner."

"Kosuke-kun, would you come up here and help me with something?" Grandpa's voice came from upstairs, catching the attention of both Niwas. Kosuke sputtered a reply and hurried up the steps, leaving his pile on the table.

Daisuke, like the good boy he was, would have ignored the pile. Would have just wouldn't cut it this time. If it was enough to make the brown-haired man worry so much, it had to be very important. Checking the hall quickly to make sure it was abandoned, he plopped down in the chair and flipped past the papers.

Red ink

Big words and even bigger numbers

_Past due_

_Pay now_

…_legal action will be taken…_

…_bankruptcy…_

_FORECLOSURE_

Hearing heavy footsteps signaling his father's return, Daisuke stood and quickly straightened the papers before grabbing a couple cookies and leaving without his milk, not stopping until he was beyond his door.

'_Oh my God._' He thought as he tried to force his eyes out of their widened state. They had never been rich, not even middle class most of the time, but at the end of the day, they always managed a little something extra, but he thought things were going up. They were broke. They were broke and they were going to lose their house. They were broke. Where would they go? How did this happen? Broke. What about Kosuke's job? Grandpa's pension? Broke. What would happen to them? What if someone found out?

Broke.

Daisuke let himself slide to the floor and didn't notice as the tears came out. He couldn't believe his dad would hide something like this from him. How long had it been like this? Why was he still getting an allowance if things were like this? Didn't Kosuke trust him? Why didn't they tell them? Did Grandpa even know? What was he going to do tomorrow? And the next day? A thought occurred to him as he stared at the pile of books on his worn desk.

Tomorrow was the last day he had to wake up early for school. He couldn't pay Hiwatari for tutoring any more.

"Daisuke! Dinner!"

"Coming!" he shouted back, keeping the cracking away from his voice. It only took him a minute to make it all stop and be presentable again. Then, he pasted on his usual smile and opened the door.

As far as everyone would know, nothing changed. He'd make sure of it.

He wouldn't be able to handle people worrying about him.

* * *

Satoshi opened his eyes blearily, unable to see much except for the reflection of a streetlight reflecting off the face of an antique grandfather clock. He allowed himself to lay there long enough to hear the chimes ring off the half-hour, not caring that he was lying awkwardly on the hard wood of the living room floor, or that he couldn't move his left arm, or that waking up hurt more than it usually did. There was a peace in the moment where he didn't have to think of anything, or be the smartest, or anything at all.

Then common sense told him he'd only hurt more if he spent the rest of the night on the ground like this, and after moving to a sitting position to read the time--almost one in the morning--he took his time to stand and make his way to the bottom of the stairs. His mind gave the order to place his hand on the rail, but again his arm did little more than give a twitch of the fingers. He looked at the rebellious limb, noting the shoulder was sitting in a rather odd, most unnatural angle to where it usually was. That was just great; it was out of the damn socket.

Sighing in a mix of anger, exasperation, and an attempt to calm himself, he ignored the rail and began to climb up the steps, making sure to be quiet as to not wake anyone all the way to his bedroom. The blond shut the door silently and leaned against the surface, aggravating his dislocated shoulder, but avoided vocalizing. His instincts told him to take care of that first, and the blue-eyed boy rummaged uncomfortably with his right hand, looking for the Aspirin he kept somewhere in his desk drawer. After several minutes he found the bottle, and after a minute more to open the damn thing, he took two pills and waited.

The clanging of the downstairs clock echoed through the house, reminding Satoshi just what time it was, and telling him seven minutes had passed. He figured now would be as good a time as ever, and he gripped his left shoulder, only to surprise himself at how much it really did hurt. Breathing hard, but still being quiet, he put his two pillows in his lap, buried his face in them, and with a careful jerk, shoved his left arm back into place, letting a controlled scream out into the dampening pillows.

Now more awake than he had been before, he stayed still, placating himself and adjusting to the painful throbbing too close to his heart.

* * *

Krad sat up with a start, eyes wide and searching for whatever it was that had forced him to a wakeful state, only to find nothing out of the ordinary. Rebuking himself for being an idiot, the blond relaxed against his pillows and stared up at the ceiling, clutching at the remnants of his dream--more like a nightmare.

Dark rooms, pain, a clock, stairs, dark blue ambience barely illuminating his way, a sparse room with nothing to give anything away, moonlight peeking onto the floor between thick drapes, pills, pain, a scream, his own scream reflecting it, and then his own room and panting and sweating and finally realizing the images for what they were.

Krad closed his eyes again, trying to keep himself from focusing on the empty loneliness the place in his mind perpetuated. All he wanted was some sleep. And at--he glanced at the clock--one in the morning, it seemed like a very good idea.

Strange though, that voice sounded so familiar.

* * *

He hadn't moved. It hurt, it hurt more than everything he'd had to fix himself thus far. Broken bones had hurt, too, but he was never the one to repair them. This was something he was awake to experience, something he had to fix himself. And, dammit, it _hurt_.

Why the hell wasn't the Aspirin working?

The clock struck again, and Satoshi deemed it more than time to survey the rest of the damage.

* * *

AN: I know. I'm terrible. Get over it. I'm pretty sure you all have a guess what happened to Satoshi, but did you guess anything else? Yes? No? Does anyone even read this? Am I pink and purple polka-dot cabbit? Will Satoshi and Krad get together and have all the fun they're meant to have? Am I just babbling on and on to myself? Who knows!

Seriously, I would love some feed-back. Send in money for Daisuke, give Satoshi a hug, tell me I'm the best, tell me I'm terrible and going to Hell. I don't care. Show me you read this.

Please?


	6. Week One, Sunday: Weekend

AN: This is what happens to everyone on the weekend. In Japan, you have half-days on Saturday, and no school on Sunday, so today is Sunday (gasp!). Enjoy!

* * *

Riku woke up. Riku got out of bed. Riku showered and got into some loose shorts and a T-shirt. Riku ate breakfast, warmed up, then left the property to go jogging before she started the real work.

--

Daisuke woke up. Daisuke ignored his alarm and rolled over. Daisuke glanced at the clock and screamed. Daisuke got up and ready for school in a record 2 minutes flat. Daisuke ran all the way to school, toast barely staying within the confines of his mouth.

--

Dark woke up. Dark cursed and rolled over. Dark pulled his sheets over himself. Dark cursed again. Dark continued to alternate between trying to fall back asleep, finding more comfortable positions, and cursing for another half hour before deciding it was time to get up.

Dark cursed once more upon seeing his favorite plaid pajama pants flung over his chair, when they were absolutely **nowhere** to be found the night before. He knew; he'd torn the whole damn room apart looking for them. They had only shown up this morning to be vindictive ass-whores.

Upon realizing that he was referring to articles of clothing as male prostitutes and sitting on his bed–naked–he deemed it right and proper to close his door and get dressed, then dressed his pillow. He didn't even bother with the remainder of the blankets on the floor. Why was his room in such a state? Let's examine.

Dark's bed schedule is very odd, to say the least. It involves him turning off the lights, opening the door to let the AC in, and getting into bed. This is followed by him crawling to lie on top of his covers because it is a little too warm, then shoving said covers to the floor because lying on top of bunched sheets is uncomfortable. Next, his shirt, pants, and boxers also find a way to the floor, since it is just too hot for clothes. However, he was courteous enough the strip the pillow of its case to cover himself with tonight.

Unfortunately, it never moved to accommodate him when he flipped over to lie on his stomach, limbs spread out to avoid excess body heat, so on school days, his mother almost always got to see her son in all his glory.

Sometimes, he wished his mom would just re-marry so he wouldn't have to worry about it so much.

Or that someone would fix the air conditioner.

Either way, he was up, dressed, and all ready for school–he looked at the calendar and cursed once more–on a Sunday.

'_Good job, Dark, you finally get yourself ready for school without mom nagging, and you don't even __**have**__ school._'

What did Dark do on weekends, you may wonder.

"Dark! Get up, it's time for training!"

Sneak out the window and find someone to bug for the day, of course.

--

Daisuke nearly broke down and cried, all panic washing away, when he found the gates to be locked. He returned home, to see his grandfather sitting on the chair, watching TV. "No school today, Dai-chan."

"Thank you, Grandpa." He deposited his book bag out of the way, and climbed the stairs back to his room. This time, he made his bed, tidied up, and changed into clothes he liked–as opposed to the ones he threw on because they were the first ones he saw–before making his way back outside. There was nothing to do at home anyway. As an after-thought, he grabbed the basketball from the lawn and took it with him. Maybe there was an open court in the park.

He dribbled the slightly deflated ball in front of him as he walked, not really paying attention to anything at all. What was there to look at? Everything was the same as it was yesterday, after all. The same stores would be open at the same times with the same people working in the same places. Everything was just… the same today.

Before he knew it, he had almost walked right past the basketball courts. Startled back into reality, he smiled brightly. At least something was different today. There was an open hoop.

--

Risa woke up. Risa showered. Risa spent a good half hour deciding what to wear to Ritsuko's house, from which point they would probably call up the others to go window shopping or something. That or watch TV. TV sounded nice. So it had to be something comfortable in case of staying, but still pretty on the off-chance that they would leave the house.

A blue blouse and matching skirt it was, then. Now for some socks and shoes, not to mention hair and make-up. And accessories. Goodness, it was just so hard to chose!

She didn't check to see if Riku was up yet or not. She _knew_ the girl was long gone by now. Honestly, it wouldn't kill her twin to sleep in just _once_.

"Bye mom! I'm off to Ritsuko's," she called down the hall as she reached the door. She had timed it perfectly. Now everyone in the house knew she was gone and where she was, but had no chance to deny her permission to go. Actually, she was half-way down the street on her bike before her mother had poked her head outside to tell her she was thinking they'd hang-out that afternoon.

--

Krad woke up. Krad had breakfast served to him. Krad showered and dressed, finding his bed made for him before he emerged, as usual. Krad spent an hour or so playing videogames, but quickly became bored with each one he tried. Krad tried the TV, but nothing interesting was on.

Needless to say, everything was very boring this morning. So he wasn't surprised when he ordered the driver to take him to drop him off at Dark's house.

He approached the door as casually as he could, and rang the doorbell hesitantly. For all he knew, something was booby trapped and he was about to die, so he made sure to keep his wits about him. Luckily, the cement didn't open up and devour him, but that didn't mean nothing terrible happened. Mrs.–or was it just Ms.?–Mousy answered the door.

"Oh! Hikari-kun!" Just _why_ was she so chipper this early in the morning? "What is it, dear? Do you want to come in?"

"N-no thank you, Mousy-san." Scary, _scary_, happy Japanese lady. "I was just wondering if Dark-san was at home."

Scary, scary, happy, and royally pissed Japanese lady. "No," Krad distinctly did _not_ like the shadow that crossed her face, or the way she made him feel half an inch tall as she leaned in ever closer. "If you see that boy, you tell him he better get his butt home this instant or, I swear to all the gods, he'll cut his best times in _half_ before I even think about giving him a break." Krad shuddered. "Do you understand me, Hikari-kun?"

Why was she so frightening? He was taller than her, dammit. So how exactly did she manage to tower over him like that? "Yes, ma'am." Maybe mothers were intimidating in every country.

"Good," she muttered darkly, before perking up and grinning at him. Krad swore he could see sparkles. "Are you sure you don't want to come in for a bit, hun? I've got cookies."

He pulled up his hands in defense and starting backing away veeeeeery slowly. "That's very kind of you, Mousy-san, but I really must be going."

"Alright, take care!"

Krad made it off the property without dieing, and jogged all the way to the nearby park before he even thought of slowing down.

--

Satoshi woke up. (The authoress started to get really tired of writing like this). Satoshi sat up. Satoshi stared at the wall for half an hour. Satoshi _woke up_ woke up. Satoshi realized his shoulder was killing him. Satoshi got out of bed. Satoshi took a couple Aspirin. Satoshi studied.

Satoshi wondered why the hell his life sucked.

--

Krad looked at his watch. He'd been watching this redheaded kid (who reminded him very much of Dark's mother somehow) shoot hoops for the past forty-five minutes. While said kid wasn't a terrible hoop-shooter, watching him throw a ball from several angles got boring after a while. The only thing that kept him amused was that they were facing each other, not twenty feet apart, and the kid hadn't even noticed him yet.

Honestly, some people were just terribly unaware of what was going on around th–

Krad's train of thought was interrupted when a basketball rolled over and attacked his expensive sneakers. He picked it up and began to study it as if he'd never seen such a thing before.

Good job, Krad. Way to be aware.

"Sorry!" Redhead–Krad decided to call him Sean; he seemed like a Sean–waved and began to jog over but stopped when he was five feet away. "That's mine. I can't believe how clumsy I am." A short silence passed between them that consisted of Sean looking very uncomfortable, and Krad just staring at him before Sean spoke up again. "Can I have it back?" Without saying anything, Krad tossed the toy back to the fidgety teen, who turned to leave, then faced him again. "Do you… do you wanna play?"

Krad stared at Sean blankly for a second until he spouted a simple, "What?"

"Do you wanna play? It's kinda boring just being by myself, y' know, and, um, if it's not too much trouble, and if you're not doing anything, I thought maybe you could–"

Krad cracked a smile as he interrupted Sean's incoherent string of nonsense. "Alright."

Sean lit up and Krad expected him to stick out a hand, but bowed. Duh, Krad reminded himself, it's Japan. "I'm Niwa Daisuke."

It took him a second to realize Sean was saying his name, and not some sentence Krad had no comprehension of. So Sean was actually Niwa-kun, huh? "Hikari Krad," he returned with a slightly shallower bow.

"Hikari-san," Daisuke–not Sean–acknowledged before tossing the ball back to Krad and sprinting back onto the court. The blond smirked as he followed him. If nothing else, he could kick the squirt's butt at basketball. He was older, and a good foot or so taller after all.

--

Riku was making her fourth lap around the park when she saw it. Niwa-kun and the foreigner. Playing basketball. She wanted to greet the redhead, but the prospect of having to deal with someone who didn't know their customs, or speak the language very well was a little intimidating. Still, by the looks of it, it was a very unfair match, and it was going to be harder for Daisuke to look any more pathetic. Knowing she'd regret it later, she put on her best smile. "Niwa-kun!"

"Harada-san!" Daisuke turned and greeted her energetically, completely losing focus and allowing Krad to finish his shot unchallenged.

"What 'cha doing?" she asked, entwining her fingers behind her back and looking genuinely interested.

"Playing basketball with Hikari-sa–oh!" Riku smiled as she watched the boy flush in embarrassment. "Um, Harada-san, this is Hikari Krad. Hikari-san, this is Harada Riku." Introductions were finished smoothly with proper bows and 'pleased-to-meet-you's. "Anyway, we're playing basketball. What are you doing all the way out here?"

"I was out jogging. Gotta keep up with everyone else, right?" she finished with a giggle, returned politely by one redhead. Krad, however, kindly stayed out of the conversation.

"Hey, if you're done, do you wanna play with us? But you'd have to be on my team; Hikari-san is really good."

'_No, I have to run a couple more laps, sorry Niwa-kun,_' was what her brain said. Her voice, on the other hand, was trying for something more social. "Sure!"

Krad tried not to groan at the compliment. Just because he was able to beat someone younger than him did not make him any better than others his age. Still, it was nothing to hold the game up over, and he began to make his way back to the center of the court, muttering just loud enough so the other two would know he brushed off the compliment. "I'm not that good."

--

Dark kicked a rock further down the street. Why did today have to be so boring? It was the _one day_ a week he got off from school, and he had nothing to do. Already, he'd been kicked out of the arcade thrice, shoplifted candy from different stores seven times, and went into restaurants for the sole purpose of hitting on the waitresses until he got free food twice. If only he could run into someone he knew, or looked like he knew, or even would appear to be an interesting person to know.

Dark panicked and ducked around a corner as he found a _very_ interesting person that he specifically did _not_ want an encounter with just now. Almost a full minute after his mom had passed did he allow himself to breathe. If she was out prowling the town, that meant he'd be in trouble when he was spotted. It was time for him to find a place Emiko would _never_ look for him in.

Where was a library when you needed one?

--

The gaggle of girls burst into laughter as the tale came to an end. Television had gotten boring, so Risa and Ritsuko had convinced a few of the others to come over, and they were having a grand old time. "Midori-chin, you and Koutarou really are funny."

The orange-haired girl nodded, still trying to settle herself. (1) "Yeah, but that's part of what makes it fun, right? Being able to enjoy each other?"

"I guess you're right."

"By the way," Ritsuko leaned in a little closer to Risa, still wearing her pajamas, "What do you like so much about Hiwatari, Risa-pii? He looks so boring."

"Yeah, I mean, what would you and that nerd have in common?"

"Well," Risa looked thoughtful for a second–but only a second, "A lot of things really. Haven't you noticed? He's a real gentleman, and–"

"Yeah, like when he confronted you in front of the entire class?" The girl with the pixie cut interrupted sarcastically.

"Maybe he was just having a bad day," Midori prompted.

"Yeah, but still, that wasn't our question. What fun could he be?"

"You never know."

"Hey, you know what I heard?" The girl with pig tails and braces piped up, with seemingly new information. "I heard Yukio saw him one day, and he said the guy was loaded. Like, filthy-stinkin' rich!" The rest of the girls inserted their various phrases of disbelief, until she continued. "I know, I didn't believe it myself 'til I saw him last week. I was at the store, helping my mom out, yanno, and when we were putting the food in the car, I saw him getting out of a limo. A limo!"

Then came the squeals. "No way, a limo?"

"I know. I almost didn't believe my own eyes, but who else could it be? He's not tall enough to be that foreign guy."

"Speaking of the foreign guy–" The short haired girl spoke up.

"What about him, Reiko-rin?" Midori pushed her slyly. "You trying for him?"

"No, but I saw him with Hiwatari," Reiko fought to keep herself heard over gasps and other sounds. "Yeah, that day he didn't come back to class. He was running gym with the Seniors. I think he transferred over or something, anyway, he and the foreign guy were just sitting there and talking together."

"But I thought Hikari-senpai only talked with Dark."

"Me, too, but I don't know any more."

"Wow, maybe you should try going through that Hikari guy, Risa-pii."

"Or Niwa," the one with braces butted in, causing a couple giggles and playful 'ew's. "It looks like they're close. They're the first ones to class every morning, and they're always sitting close then. I don't know what to think!"

--

The game had ended when the red-headed girl got thirty points ahead of him and Niwa put together. It wasn't fair. The was taller then her and somehow, she had managed to wipe the floor at him in basketball. Stupid little Japanese girls and their magic powers.

Then Niwa said something, and since Krad wasn't prepared to listen, he completely missed what he was trying to say.

"Huh?"

Brown eyes blinked up at him in a childish manner. "I asked you when you have to be home."

Krad shrugged. "Whenever. Why?"

"No reason," Daisuke started to dribble the ball absently. "I just don't want to hold you up if you have somewhere to go."

The blond smiled at that. "It's fine. I'm free all day." Daisuke made a small sound in acknowledgment, and Krad did something that later, he would figure to be very out of character. He blamed the sporty chick. "Want to go eat something?" The Niwa hesitated. "It's on me."

He seemed to consider it for a moment. "Ok, if you're sure."

"I'm kinda hungry anyway." Hopefully he wouldn't end up with a fan boy after this.

--

After an hour, Dark figured it was safe to emerge from that silent Hell. He didn't know how anyone could stand that place. The memory of his time in the library would haunt him for life. At least they hadn't made him actually read anything.

When his eyes adjusted to the sunlight, he did a quick look-around for security purposes and finally saw something interesting on the other side of a window.

--

Eating was a good thing, Krad decided as he began to munch on his cheeseburger. Choking on your food, as he did when insanity incarnated shouted his name while bounding to his side, was _not_ a good thing. When his airway was properly cleared, he gathered his patience and prayed that the person beside him was not who he thought it was. A quick glance shattered his hopes. "Yes, Dark-san?"

"Hey!" Niwa only watched as the evil purple-haired being plopped down next to the foreigner, sipping at his drink, then proceeded to munch on Krad's fries. Krad simply stared at the spot where _his_ fries used to be. "Whatcha up to?"

'_**Patience, Krad, patience**_.' He said the only thing that came to mind. "Dark-san, your mother told me to tell you to go home."

"Ok." The last of his fries disappeared before his very eyes. He looked up as the sound of Dark sucking the last of his drink from his cup entered his ears and noticed his sandwich had a bite or two taken out of it. Disgusting, disgusting creature.

"Dark-san," he tried again. "Your very scary mother has informed me that it is in your best interest to return home. Now."

"Isn't she great? You got any more food?"

Krad signed, resigning himself as he fished his pocket for some cash. "If she kills the both of us, I blame you," he handed the bill over and Dark reacted like a child with a hundred dollars in a candy store, delighted squeals and all. He glanced at Niwa for the first time since Dark had arrived to see him completely unaffected. "Aren't you traumatized?" The redhead shook his head quickly. "Lucky."

--

"Dark-san, I'd really appreciate it if you'd get off my back now."

"Aww, c'mon, Krad! I just want a ride."

"Dark-san, off."

Reluctantly, he climbed off his back, pretending not to feel important by all the horrified stares the three were receiving. Niwa continued to sip at his drink politely, on his third refill when they had left the burger place. "By the way, you look familiar, kid. What's your name?"

"Niwa Daisuke." Insert polite bow here.

"Niwa?" Dark reiterated, "How's it spelt?"

"Rusty feather."

"Niwa, Niwa, Niwa," Dark put a hand to his chin in thought as he mulled over where he might have heard that name before. Nope nothing. "Hmm, you got an older sister?" He watched as the politely silent boy shook his head. "No? Oh well, I'll remember someday."

Daisuke just shrugged.

--

"See ya!"

"Bye!"

Krad silently waved as Dark left the group, finally. The sun was almost down, and he knew the teen was in for a world of pain if his mother was anywhere _near_ as angry now as she was this morning. He mourned for Dark for a moment before turning to face the short redhead. "What about you? Where do you live?"

"Um, not far really," Krad wondered if he smiled so much all the time, "Just a couple blocks."

"Ok. How 'bout I walk you?" Niwa went into the expected refusals based on how much trouble that would be and how sure he was that Krad had to be getting home soon until the blond shrugged and interrupted. "It's fine. I can call for a ride."

"O-ok."

The trek began and Krad vaguely noticed the quality of the neighborhood remained about the same, making him wonder if he really did have that much more money than everyone else, or if he managed to find all the poor people every day. Niwa, however, did not allow Krad to get a glimpse of his house, since he insisted that he'd be fine after they had wandered a little deeper into the confusing residential area. It took some convincing, but eventually Daisuke got Krad to believe that he really did live on that street and that he'd be ok walking on his own the rest of the way.

"Ok, maybe I'll see you around sometime."

Daisuke seemed a little shocked by the suggestion, as if he hadn't been expecting to ever meet the blond again before offering up a wide grin. "Yeah, that'd be great. Bye, Hikari-senpai."

"Bye." Krad pulled out his cell and dialed for his driver. "**Evening. I'm at the park we passed near Mr. Mousey's house. … Thank you**."

* * *

1. Maybe you've seen it, but when an Asian person bleaches their hair, it tends to look orange. Thus, orange hair. 


	7. Week Two, Monday: Mario Cart

AN: This is the newest chapter, and I hope you guys enjoy reading it as much as I enjoyed writing it. I did kind of drop it about a third of the way through, but I picked it up again a couple days ago, and was able to finish it.

* * *

Daisuke peeked over the workbook, watching as the blond across from him read the same book he saw him reading everyday. He didn't know how he was supposed to go about this. He'd only been receiving tutoring for a couple days, and he was already going to break it off. He would seem so unsteady. Well, he had paid for the week already, so maybe he could wait until Saturday. 

"What is it, Niwa?" Satoshi hadn't even looked up from the book, startling Daisuke like nothing else. How long had he…

"Um, I was wondering, since we have that test tomor–."

"Sure, meet me at the gate."

Daisuke was a little taken aback. Was he really that easy to read, or was Satoshi really some kind of genius and just picked up the meaning from context? "Th-thanks."

Satoshi shrugged a shoulder and turned the page.

* * *

Krad hadn't swung by to meet him that morning, but that didn't do him much good. Dark had been waiting for him on his normal route. So he was forced to endure the painful greeting, shouting, and butchered English for about a block, before he was met with a pleasant surprise. 

Dark didn't look very dignified with a crazy blond sitting on his chest.

"Dammit, Saga!" Dark shoved at the man pinning him down and leering at him in a rather disturbing fashion, "I thought you were on vacation with your dad."

"I missed you so much, I just _had_ to come back!" Krad didn't understand half of what he was saying, and the accent only made it worse. Still, it was relieving to know that pouncing may not have been a habit Dark had developed on his own. Dark on the other hand, found the Kansai dialect very annoying.

Speaking of Dark, he was about to say something highly uncomplimentary, but also very colorful, when another male appeared seemingly out of nowhere, startling Krad into jumping an additional foot or so away. "Sir, you'll be late for school."

"Oh, right," the man named Saga rose and offered Dark a hand, who stubbornly refused the help. "Who's your friend?"

"Hikari Krad, and no–" Saga's face fell, as he was about to speak "–we don't want any part in any media event you and your dad are doing, so don't even ask."

"Damn!" It was both relieving and terrifying for Krad that there were people like Dark in the world, but in reality he had it backwards. It was absolutely bone-chilling that there were people on this Earth that could come close to matching Saga's insanity. Unfortunately, Krad had yet to learn this, so he only received a mixed emotion while trying to walk ahead without any of them.

His plan failed when not one, but two arms wrapped around his shoulders and simultaneous voices rang out: "Wait for me." "Let's be great friends, Hikari-kun."

The familiar honorific made Krad cringe, but he decided to bear it. There was no way the school board would put minds like Dark's and Saga Keiji's in the same room for hours on end.

It was not until they got to class did Krad realize that he now had Dark sitting to his left, Keiji to his right, and the quiet, dark-haired man sitting behind the flamboyant Osakan.

* * *

Satoshi activated the tape-recorder on his desk before he packed up his things and headed to class 3-C. This way, he wouldn't miss anything (except maybe an illustration or two) while he was over in that Seniors' class, translating away. It might not have been the best or most convenient method, but it was a reasonable way of being in two places at once. 

Unfortunately, two pairs of large brown eyes followed him out of the classroom, sending chills down his spine: Niwa and Harada. Time away from class would surely solve both of those problems.

* * *

The first few periods passed easily enough, although it was a little difficult at times to tune out the teacher, ignore Dark's and Saga's incessant calls for attention, listen to the whispered English to his left, and write down intelligible notes. 

Thankfully, the chimes sounded for lunch and he got some reprieve. Without a second thought, Krad turned to his little English buddy. **"Lunch with us on the roof?"**

"**Alright."**

* * *

It was a little unnerving how similar Krad and Hiwatari were alike, Dark decided as he observed them holding a conversation in that difficult language. They both had fragile body structures, brought little to nothing to eat, had blond hair and un-Japanese eyes, and seemed to even act the same. Inwardly, he wondered if Krad was also some Super Nerd deep down inside, and if Hiwatari was wealthy. Then they could be a perfect match. 

Still, Dark had enough mental ability to tell something was weird about this Hiwatari kid. The way he just sat there, almost in a daze, and translated what the teacher said without seeming to pay attention to anything at all, as if he didn't need to think about it–or he was a robot. Maybe if he was a robot, he wouldn't seem so creepy. Hey, that was a good name for him, Creepy. It basically summed up everything he knew about the kid in a single word.

"**Do you speak any other languages?"** Krad brought up the subject on a whim, just to see what other, more unattainable forms of communication they could hold, away from prying ears of other English-speakers.

"**French, Portuguese, three dialects of Chinese, Korean, German, and some Russian, but I'm afraid I don't know much of it yet. You?"** Krad tried not to show his surprise at the sheer number of it all. This kid was, what, fifteen years old, and he knew _how_ many languages?

"**Latin, French, German, Spanish, Russian, and a few dead Native American Languages."** Good, a few matched. Now they could confuse Dark even further. He leaned back against the warm concrete wall, letting himself relax in knowing no one else could probably understand them. **"How did you learn so many?"**

"**My father travels a lot, and he decided that if he had to learn all of the languages, he should inflict such torture on me as well. What about you?"**

Krad didn't know what to think. So Satoshi hated it to the point that he called it torture? What did he think of talking to him in English, then? Or playing translator during class? **"We couldn't get a translation of all the books I was learning out of when I was home-schooled, so they just had me learn instead. Native American only happened because my mother went through a phase where she was fascinated with the culture."**

"**Oh."**

"**That's so **_**fascinating!**_**"** Krad and Satoshi both jumped as a hyper-active voice joined their conversation, Dark just got even more pissed. Great, he was the only one who didn't speak English fluently. Maybe if he dyed his hair blond, he'd instantly master it. **"You know, I don't speak many languages yet, but I can say the basics in 50 languages!"**

Satoshi dropped out of the conversation and began to nibble on his bread, but Krad found himself far too polite to just leave Keiji hanging. The abject horror of having his entire conversation understood by a madman fell off his face, changing to a plea for someone to save him; Satoshi flatly ignored the expression, and Dark remained oblivious. **"What basics?"**

"**Hello. Good bye. My name is Saga Keiji. Please take me to a restroom. Thank you. And fuck off, Grandma!"**

Krad didn't have the patience to contemplate how such a vulgar phrase was considered basic. **"I see."**

"Ok, that's enough!" Dark pointed at the space between the elder two of the blonds in an attempt at shoving his chopsticks at both of them at once. "You're in Japan, speak the language."

"Oh, Dark!" For the second time that day, Krad saw Dark on the floor. "I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to make you feel left out. Let's go do something, just the two of us." Krad turned to try to continue his conversation with his underclassman.

"Get off me, Saga!"

"Hey, did either of you see Hiwatari-kun leave?" Dark and Keiji, successfully distracted by Krad's question, looked over to see unoccupied space where he was sitting a moment ago.

"He really is _kibiwaree_," Dark commented, feeling a sudden chill.

"Huh?"

"**Creepy,"** Keiji supplied, filling in a missing spot in Krad's vocabulary. The silence confirmed the mutual agreement, broken by the sounding of chimes signaling the end of the lunch period.

* * *

"I'm telling' you, Saga, the kid's a goddamn robot!" 

"Stupid, if he was a robot, he could just download the syllabus."

"**Would you like to come to my house this afternoon,"** Keiji dropped the argument he was having with Dark, eyes shining at the invitation from Krad,** "Hiwatari-kun?"** His expression dropped dramatically.

"Hey, Saga, what'd he say?"

Satoshi looked like he was caught a little off-guard, even tearing his face away from _The Complete Works of Edgar Allan Poe_ to focus on the towering blond, and Krad felt the need to elaborate so there was no awkwardness in the conversation. **"Doing the same thing everyday is getting boring, and you seem to be the most sane person here."**

"Dammit, Saga, are you even listening to me?"

"**Can I bring someone?"** Krad blinked, confused.** "I promised to help him study; I don't think he'll be much trouble."**

"**That should be fine."**

"Hey!" Saga broke out of his stupor and grabbing Krad by the front of his shirt, trying to be intimidating, but falling too short and hyper to seem like much a threat. "What about me? You can't just invite the Creepy Kid–" Satoshi felt his eyebrow twitch slightly at being called creepy "–over and leave me completely out of the picture! We're pals, aren't we?"

"No," both Krad and Satoshi monotoned in unison.

"Wait a sec'," Dark, finally having a sense for what was going on, was more than a little offended. "What about me? I haven't even been over once, and I've known you since you moved over."

"You annoy me." Dark promptly exploded into tears, and Saga leaped over to comfort him, along with the entire female population of the class.

"There, there. I don't think you're annoying, Dark."

"Hikari-kun is so mean!"

"Don't listen to him, Mousey-kun, we still love you."

"I can't believe he said that to you."

"That Hikari Krad is the worst!"

"**Fine,"** Krad folded, preferring not to invoke the collective wrath of his class. "You can come over _if_ you promise to behave yourself."

"Of course I will, Krad!" The fake tears were gone instantly, replaced by a sunny disposition.

"I mean it. Hiwatari-kun's **friend**–" Satoshi kicked into simultaneous translation mode as Krad forgot what language he was supposed to be speaking "**–needs to study, and I probably will, too. You cause any problems whatsoever, and I'll toss your troublesome ass to the curb. Got that?"**

"Yeah, yeah, you don't need to start speaking in tongues over it," the peevish reply came, and Krad was momentarily confused over the meaning, both over the phrase he didn't recognize and the fact his brain had to switch gears to comprehend any part of the statement.

"Wow, Hikari-kun, you're so amazing."

"You speak English?"

"That's so cool!"

"Can you teach me?"

Krad covered his face in his hand as he realized exactly what he did. Taking a minute to make sure he was speaking the proper language, he muttered so only Satoshi could here. "When did I switch?"

"After my name, unfortunately," Hiwatari responded coolly, and Krad felt a stab. **"It doesn't bother me that I have to translate for you."** Stab. **"Actually, it's great practice–" **stab **"–for when I might have to do so for other irate foreigners."** Stab.

Krad felt absolutely brutalized, astonished at how the lowerclassmen could speak so offensively and have it come off as casual. "Oh. Glad to be of help."

"I guess I'm coming, too, aren't I, Hikari-kun?" Keiji popped up optimistically, and Krad, not wanting to have to fight another losing battle, conceded.

* * *

Daisuke, as he had promised, was waiting patiently by the gate as soon as school let out. Actually, he was lucky, since his teacher was annoyed that afternoon and decided to let the class out early. However, he was starting to wonder about his luck when Hiwatari approached him with not one, not two, but three Seniors escorting him. The tall blond one was to his left, while another blond and a purple-haired man followed behind. Daisuke stared, stunned, at the four before a nervous grin crossed his face. "Hiwatari-kun, I had no idea you were bringing your body guards." The purple-haired thug twitched. Wait a second, two of them looked familiar. 

"They're not my body-guards, Niwa, they're Hikari-senpai and his friends. Hikari-senpai, this is–"

"Niwa-kun," Krad answered blandly, earning a confused look from both Saga and Satoshi.

Dark. slammed a fist down on his palm. "Holy shit, it is Niwa!" He bounced over to catch up with his buddy, who had only just now recognized the other two. Keiji followed, hoping to make a friend.

"**You two know him?"** Satoshi raised an eyebrow as Daisuke received a slap on the back and nearly keeled over.

"**We happened to run into him Sunday. A classmate of yours?"**

"**Yeah."** Satoshi took pity on the poor red-head as Dark continued to torture him in friendly ways. "Niwa, we've been invited over to Hikari-senpai's house this afternoon. He will help you with your English–" A confused look crossed Krad's face. This had _not_ been part of the deal. "–and you can return the favor by helping him with his Japanese." This was the first Daisuke had heard of having to help tutor someone else, and he had a feeling he wasn't going to be any good at it. "I hope there are no objections." A cold wind passed, just ominous enough to make the two hesitate in speaking up. "Good. I'm glad that's settled."

"Hey, what about us?" Keiji whined, looping his arm off of Daisuke's shoulders. "What are Dark and I supposed to do?"

"You can do whatever it is you two do when you're alone together." And suddenly, Satoshi's feet had lost the ground and a tanned hand appeared in his line of vision, clutching what seemed to be the front of his shirt. Beyond that hand was a pair of narrowed, violet eyes. In his surprise, he let his bag slide off his shoulder and it hit the ground with a thud, everything spilling out onto the sidewalk.

"Where do you get off ordering people around?" Satoshi stared right into the bridge of Dark's nose unflinching. Just picking him up off the ground wasn't very intimidating. "Last time I checked, none of this was being left up to you."

Krad put a hand on Dark's shoulder, none too pleased that he had decided to bully a Freshman before they had even left the campus. "Dark-san, put him down. He didn't mean any harm."

"Oh come on, Krad. The little squirt's got it comin'!" He gave Satoshi a rough shake to illustrate his point.

As his head jerked back from the sudden movement, Satoshi felt his glasses slide completely off his ears, and as his head righted, the fragile piece of glass and metal flew off his ears, sailing in a perfect arc to land in the street. The instant headache sent him reeling, causing Satoshi to slap a hand over his eyes and mutter a curse.

"I don't think they broke. Wait a sec'." Daisuke jogged over to get them, only to be beaten to the spot by a car. Nobody moved. Regaining his senses, Niwa pulled his extended arm back to his body and turned to Satoshi carefully. "Um, Hiwatari-kun?"

Without removing his hand from over his eyes or noticing that he was no longer a foot or so in the air, Satoshi let out a sigh. "They're broken, aren't they?" An affirmative sound came from the direction Daisuke was, but he couldn't tell if it was him or not. "I should still have last year's prescription in my bag. Could you get it for me, please?" He could hear someone rummaging through his things and tried not to be annoyed. He had, after all, told him to do it. Finally, he felt the case being pressed into his hand, and he opened it to don the old pair. "Thank you." There was a slight difference between what he normally saw and what the old glasses had him seeing, but at least he _could_ see through them.

Krad was the first to break the uneasy silence. "Let's go. We need to hurry if we're going to meet my ride." Everyone seemed ok with the decision and followed. "Oh, and Dark-san," Dark paused as Krad glanced at him over the shoulder, "You owe Hiwatari-kun for the glasses."

* * *

"Hikari-senpai?" Daisuke stared at the vehicle the group had stopped beside. 

"Yes?" The driver rose out of the front and began to walk around without anyone seeming to notice.

"That's a limo." He had to let him know, just in case things were very different in America. Normal people did not have this sort of thing.

The driver opened the door quietly, and neither Dark nor Satoshi hesitated to enter. "I know. Get in."

* * *

"Hikari-senpai?" 

"Yes, Niwa-kun?" '_Don't say it, don't say it, don't say it, don't_–'

"You live in a mansion." Thank you, Daisuke Obvious. Krad decided to grin and bear it.

"I am aware of that." The next thing anyone knew, there was an unconscious Daisuke on the front steps.

* * *

Daisuke awoke to the sound of fast-moving cars, some shouting, and the occasional beeping. He was lying on something soft and comfortable. 

"Dammit, Saga! Aim at them, not me!"

"It's hard to hit them when they keep swerving everywhere."

"So you're trying to hit me?!"

"Well, if I don't, I won't ever get any points!"

"We lose more getting hit than hitting something."

"Oh."

"Will you two shut up and play? It's no fun winning when the other side doesn't have a chance."

"Shut up, Krad. Why are you and Creepy so good at this, anyway?"

"I have no life."

"No kidding."

"**Buenos dias, Niwa!" **There was bouncing. Why was there bouncing on his soft and comfortable? No fair, no fair.

"Oh, did he finally wake up?" Now there was hugging. He really wished he wouldn't be hugged on his soft and comfy. It ruined the experience.

"Niwa, Niwa, Niwa, Niwa, Niwa! It's time to get up! You've been out for ten minutes already." Daisuke groaned and tried to roll over, only to be rolled back, over, back, over back. "Don't fall asleep! We need you awake!"

"No," he whined as he was forced to sit up, still being bounced around. He didn't want to face the waking world right now. It was too much fun sleeping.

"Niwa," he identified Krad's voice for the first time since he admitted to having no life and cracked open an eye, rubbing the other sleepily with a fist. He felt a hand on his back, keeping him from laying back down. "Are you alright? You gave us all a scare."

"What happened? Where am I?"

"You feinted on Hikari-senpai's porch." Satoshi spoke for the first time. Everything was always so blurry when he first woke up. "You are currently in his room, sitting on a couch."

"I wha'?" Still tired and disoriented, he glanced around. There was a game on pause, a bed, a closet, a dresser, and many other things identifying this as a bedroom. A large bedroom. It could've easily swallowed his own if bedrooms ate other bedrooms.

"You passed out," Satoshi reiterated. Confused people were always so hard to work with. "I think you were shocked over something."

"Oh."

"Would you like something to eat?"

"That'd be nice." Krad nodded and went to the door for a minute, talking to someone outside, then returned. Daisuke wondered why he didn't go to get it. His question was answered when a lady came in with water, milk, and some pastry he couldn't identify. He gave her a quiet thank-you, then nibbled gratefully. He used it as an excuse to mull over what he had been told. He fainted? At Krad's house? Why? Hiwatari said he might have been surprised. What was there to be surprised about? "Your room's very big, Hikari-senpai."

"It's alright," Krad shrugged it off, earning an odd look from Dark, before resuming his position in front of the TV. Saga and Dark followed, but Satoshi merely brought his remote over to the bed and sat down next to Daisuke to continue playing from there. "Don't eat too much or you won't be hungry for dinner." He took the game off pause and everyone started where they left off in _Mario Cart_.

"Alright." He watched them play for a while, noticing something odd. "Is all this in English?"

"Yeah, this is Hikari-senpai's version from America. Mousey-senpai is Browser in the top left, Hikari-senpai is Yoshi in the top-right, Saga-senpai–"

"Just Saga is fine." Keiji interjected, but Satoshi went on as if he hadn't spoken.

"–is Luigi in the bottom-left, and I'm Toad in the bottom-right." They continued in mostly-silence, aside from comments and short verbal battles from Saga and Dark, until Satoshi spoke up again. "Do you think you get the gist of it, Niwa?"

"Yeah." He was passed the control, and he panicked and fumbled for a second, making his player slow to nearly a stop before he could recover. "Hiwatari-kun! You need to tell me when you're going to do that."

"You keep playing for a minute, I'll see if I can't get the books out for studying," he brisked by Daisuke, momentarily obstructing his vision on his way to the low table. "We'll probably start after dinner."

"Oh, ok. By the way, what is for dinner?"

"I dunno," Krad responded without so much as a pause. "Whatever my dad wants, probably."

"Ok."

* * *

All through dinner, Dark and Daisuke looked very uncomfortable, starting from when various people came in with table settings and trays of food, setting it up on the table, as if they were… "Krad, are those servants?" 

"Yes."

"And they're bringing us the food instead of us going to the dining room?" Dark continued his question suspiciously.

"My dad doesn't know you're here," Krad thought his explanation would work until he saw the confused look cross Dark's face. "My father is picky about who I'm allowed to associate with, so it's better if he doesn't find out I've brought you over." He knew his father would have little problem with Satoshi, and probably even Saga to an extent. Their lack of surprise about nearly everything lead him to believe they were among the better-off half of the population. Daisuke managed to look increasingly nervous as Krad went on. "It's not unusual for me to skip dinner either, so don't worry about him getting suspicious about me not going down."

"Krad, you're sneaky." A sly grin spread across Mousey's face as he chose a spot and sat, joining everyone else in doing so.

"I blame you," Krad admonished.

"Alright! Roast beef!"

* * *

"**Herro. How are you?"**

"No, Niwa," Satoshi was getting a little aggravated. It had been half an hour and Daisuke wasn't even close to getting _L_ right. "It's **hello**. Press your tongue against the bottom of your top teeth and flick it down."

"**Helto." **The look of concentration on Daisuke's face increased two-fold, involving a scrunched face and eyes looking upward. At least there was progress.

"Now voice it and bring your tongue down a little lower."

"**Hello."**

"There you go."

"**Hello,"** he repeated with increasing confidence. **"Hello, hello, hello hello."** He bounced over to Krad. **"Hello. How are you?"**

"**I'm fine, thank you. How are you?"** Krad enunciated everything slowly and carefully, over-using his tones, to make sure Niwa got the idea that English was not a flat language.

"**I am fain, sank you."**

Krad decided _fine_ was close enough for now, but _th_ would be an important sound later. **"**_**Thhh**_**ank you."**

"**Szthank you."**

"_**Th**_**ank you."**

"_**Thank**_** you."**

"That's right," Satoshi nodded. **"Now we'll reverse the conversation. Krad?"**

"_Konichi wa–_"

Satoshi interrupted, pouncing on Krad's mispronunciation. **"Hold out the **_**n**_** longer. It's like a double letter. And don't bounce around like it's in English. Japanese is flatter."**

"_Kon'nichi wa. Ogenki des' ka._"

"_**Desu**_**. It's a whispered sound."**

Krad felt his eyebrow twitch, but obliged again. "_Ogenki desu ka._"

"_Hai, genki desu. Hikari-senpai wa?_" Daisuke responded, eager to help with the exercise.

"_Genki desu._"

"**Better."**

Exasperated with Satoshi's critiquing, Krad refrained from repeating to let out a little steam. **"Why am I doing this? I already know this."**

"**You pronounce it wrong."** Why did Satoshi suddenly resemble his French teacher? All this was bad for Krad's psyche; he could sense it.** "Especially the **_**ra**_** column. It's not like the English **_**r**_**. Try saying it like you would with Spanish. **_**Ra ri ru re ro**_**."**

He rested his cheek on a fist and gave a deep sigh, but didn't fight anymore. He really would have preferred to work on more advanced things like the verb endings he hadn't learned yet, missing pieces in his vocabulary, and dialectal differences from the Standard language used closer to Tokyo, and the Osaka dialect that Saga flaunted. Either that, or get back to playing video games. Dark and Keiji were having a grand old time trying to beat all of Krad's high scores. "_Ra _r_i ru re _r_o._"

"_**Ra ri ru re ro**_**."**

"_Ra ri ru re ro_."

* * *

"Thank you for inviting us over, Hikari-senpai. It was really fun." Daisuke gave a polite bow before entering the limo awkwardly, where Dark and Satoshi were already waiting. 

"Thank you for coming." The vehicle pulled away and Krad turned to Saga. "Are you sure you don't want a ride?"

"Nah," Keiji flipped his phone shut with his thumb, shutting off the conversation he was having. Japanese wasn't a bouncy language his ass, then again, maybe Keiji was a special exception. "My old man's sending one around. I'll be out of your hair in a couple minutes."

"Ok." True to his word, Saga's ride showed up in less than five minutes, strengthening Krad's opinion that he was nowhere near poor, and drove off after an older man Keiji called his slave pried Saga off of him. When the car was out of sight, Krad trudged back inside and collapsed on the first couch he found. Those people were all exhausting when they were together, especially Dark and Saga. He threw an arm over his eyes, waving away one of the butlers that approached to ask him if he was alright. At least Hiwatari and Niwa were easy to handle, even if Satoshi was absolutely brutal from time to time.

As he rolled over onto his stomach, something occurred to Krad that he had completely missed. "Nobody called their parents to say they were over." Well, maybe Niwa had known from the beginning, since he had plans to go to Satoshi's house, but everyone else was spur of the moment. An amused, cat-like smile crossed Krad's lips as he knew what this meant. "Dark's mom is probably pissed."

* * *

Fixed some formatting and spelling errors. I think I had spelt Krad's last name as Hikair five times. 

A little note on the Japanese: te conversation between Daisuke and Krad is an example of a stock phrase language teachers would shove down your throat.  
Kibiwaree is the best approximation I could come up with for how I wanted Dark to pronounce kibi-warui (the more correct and dictionary form of the word). From all the examples I could find of the untranslated manga, it looked like Dark uses a very masculine form of speech, so I tried to echo that as best as I could.


	8. Week Two, Tuesday: Passing Class

AN: I'm getting better about churning these out. I hope you like this chapter, I had a lot of fun writing it.

* * *

"Hiwatari-kun!" Satoshi stopped walking and rolled his eyes. Great, what a perfect way to start his day. "Good morning," her feminine face appeared in his line of vision and he tried his best not to look as annoyed as he felt. Since when did Risa Harada even wake up this early? 

"Good morning," there, he acknowledged her presence. Good deed done. Shoo, Harada-girl, shoo!

"I'm sorry about the other day." Funny, she didn't sound sorry. Sincere, but not sorry. "Guess I went a little overboard, huh?"

Damn right. "I suppose." Satoshi started walking again. The sooner he got to class, the sooner he could use the excuse that underclassmen shouldn't be loitering in the Senior's hall without a valid reason.

"Are you mad at me?" He wondered if her eyes could get any bigger. Or sadder-looking for that matter. At least now he was looking down at her. He'd spent most of elementary school and half of jr. high being shorter than a majority of the female population. Being taller gave him the feeling that he had more control over the situation. He weighed his options and chose the path of least resistance.

"I'm not the type of person that holds grudges, Harada."

She giggled. Satoshi just got finished explaining that he wasn't still mad and Risa _giggled_ at him. "That's good. I was afraid you'd still be mad at me." She shifted her bag to the other shoulder and shuffled her feet. Satoshi remembered reading somewhere that doing so was a sign of nervousness or anxiety. "Y'know, you can be pretty intimidating when you talk. A lot of people think you're a push-over."

"A lot of people like to assume things before they get to know a person, Harada." He tried to make it a clear warning without being overly threatening. Satoshi didn't much like the idea that people were sitting around talking about what he was like.

"Of course they do, that's where gossip comes from." Just how Risa was so cheerful this early in the morning, Satoshi had no idea, but he figured it was the same thing that affected Niwa: sugar. Sugar and hyperactivity. Well, whatever it was that made them so damn happy at five in the morning didn't matter. Satoshi was getting curious.

"What else do people–" he braced himself to spit out that hated word "–gossip about me?"

* * *

Satoshi watched without seeing as Niwa scribbled down his vocabulary words, whispering them as he wrote them out. His mind was still stuck on what Risa had revealed to him. Apparently, how stubborn he was, wasn't the only subject that flew around the hoards. Surprisingly, he was a regular topic. 

One of the rumors said he was a nerd. That one was true.

Another claimed he was a robot. He chose to not acknowledge that one.

Yet another–recently proved to be false–was that he was mute.

Finally, there was a whole class of rumors that spawned once everyone made the transition into summer uniforms based on the fact that Satoshi always opted to wear the long-sleeved shirt. Risa had only given a few examples, few of them true and none of them that Satoshi particularly liked. Truthfully, he had low body fat, thus less of him to keep himself warm in the air-conditioned building.

Up until now, Satoshi had convinced himself that he didn't care what others thought, but this morning's conversation had him thinking otherwise. Maybe it was more that he liked to think he was better than everyone else and the possibility that he was wrong was irking him.

"Niwa?" Satoshi rested his cheek on a hand and focused his gaze out the window, seeing if he could pick out the girls that would be likely to spread such strange rumors. Daisuke perked up, all attention shifting to his blond-haired friend. Satoshi began to wonder if Niwa was even capable of multitasking. "What do you think of me?"

"Think of you?" Well, if nothing else, he got to see Niwa confused and scrambling for an answer. "Well–um–you're smart. And you have weird hair, and–er…you're quiet."

"No, that's not it." As nice as it was that Daisuke was thinking of good, neutral responses, it wasn't what he was looking for. "Not what are my qualities; what do _you_ think of me?"

"Oh, well," Daisuke stuck the end of his pen in his mouth, giving his answer more thought, even if it meant voicing things slowly and hesitantly. "Huh. I think you're a really kind person." Satoshi's eyes shifted from the outside to Daisuke and he took it as a hint to go on. "I don't know you very well yet, but you're helping me with English, and even though you were mad at Harada-san, you tried to keep your temper, and now you're helping Hikari-senpai with Japanese. You don't talk a lot, but when you do, you try to say things without hurting anyone's feelings. So, yeah–" Daisuke decided he agreed with his reasoning, popping the slightly abused pen out of his mouth "–I think you're a really kind person."

Satoshi thought about this for a minute, debating on whether or not he was right, before looking back out the window. "Thank you, Niwa. That was very helpful."

Daisuke chuckled, a grin breaking out across his face. "No problem."

* * *

Krad had just barely set his bag down on his desk when Dark trudged in. Normally, Krad didn't care what state Dark was in when he entered class, but today was different. Dark looked exhausted. "Good morning, Dark-san." The purple-haired teen muttered something incomprehensible and plopped down in his chair, wincing as his chin connected roughly with the top of his desk. "You look tired." 

"Forgot to call my mom yesterday and tell her where I was. Worked me to death last night."

Krad returned to nonchalantly pulling out his materials for class. "I thought so."

* * *

"Hiwatari-kun!" Satoshi turned around, just barely off campus and wondering what anyone could possibly want from him. Then again, he amended, it was Niwa that was running towards him. He waited patiently for the redhead to catch up before he began walking again, stopping again when Niwa bent down to tie his shoe. "Hey, are we studying again today?" 

"Hikari-senpai hadn't mentioned it," Satoshi answered honestly. Krad had had his hands full trying to get Saga off a sugar high during lunch and classes had been particularly trying. It simply hadn't come up.

"Oh," the top of Niwa's head seemed disappointed. Daisuke stood and the two of them started walking. "What about just us?"

"Sorry, Niwa. My father is back in town from a business trip and he'll want to spend time with me."

"Oh," Daisuke wasn't very eloquent this afternoon, but it was covered by instant cheer. "So your dad's back? What's he like?"

"He's not my real dad," he commented, giving himself room to think. "He's a little demanding, but every parent is, I guess. When I mess up, he's quick to make sure I straighten up. He doesn't like settling for less." As Satoshi's eyes gradually moved about to different corners of his vision, Daisuke watched the emotions on his features. He had this nagging feeling he was only getting the tip of the iceberg and there was something else he should know.

"So, if Hiwatari-san is your step-dad, what's your real name?"

Satoshi shrugged. "I don't know. Never thought about it. What about your father?"

"Oh, well, he used to be an archaeologist. He likes to read about artifacts and far away places and things like that. Um, I dunno," Daisuke laughed. Why was this so hard? "A lot of people say I'm just like him, but I–oh! I gotta turn here. See ya tomorrow, Hiwatari-kun!"

Satoshi waved back, slightly bewildered as Daisuke jogged along the sidewalk in the opposite direction he was going to go. "What was that all about?"

* * *

Krad deposited his backpack neatly on the floor as he entered his room and settled himself in front of the television. After five minutes of starting and stopping games, he gave up on the notion that those would entertain him that afternoon and tried to find an interesting show instead. Twelve channels and many commercials that made no sense to him later, and Krad decided that wouldn't work, either. 

Annoyed with the television and in no mood to watch a movie, he picked himself up and tried the computer. No e-mails. He logged on to his Instant Messenger. No one online. '_Of course they aren't. A lot of them probably haven't even gotten home yet._' He checked a couple of comics he periodically kept track of, then back to his messenger list. Still, no one was online.

Krad clicked over to a web site he didn't understand most of, but knew that if he clicked a certain ad often enough, he'd get to see a badly animated clown explode. It only took three refreshes to get the ad. His clown-exploding adventure over, Krad decided that by now, someone would be on, only to frown in disappointment and perturbation. No one. Not a single person on his Friend's List was online.

Fed up and bored, Krad stood up from the computer and flopped back onto his bed. Usually, he could find some way of entertaining himself, but today seemed destined to be spent in tedium. Instead of counting the bumps on his ceiling, he tried to figure out why nothing was interesting today.

It didn't take long.

Lately, he'd been spending the afternoons with people, and today he was people-less. Acquiring people would surely solve this problem. People, people, where to get some people. A solution came to mind and Krad rolled with it. Sitting up quickly, he snatched his cell phone off his desk and dialed in Dark's number.

"_Hello. This is the Mousy residence. Emiko speaking."_

Krad unconsciously stood up a little straighter when he heard her voice on the phone. "Mousy-san? Is Dark at home?"

"_Oh, Hikari-kun! __**Yes. Dark is home now. You are wishing to talk?**__"_

Krad shook his head. At least now he knew where Dark got his urge to practice English on him from. "Well, actually, I was wondering if he could come over tonight to help me with my homework."

"_Dark? _My_ Dark? Helping someone. With _homework_."_

Nope, she didn't believe a word of it. Krad didn't expect her to. "Well, sort of. I'm having trouble with understanding some of the readings. Dark's helping me because he needs help with his English and he's getting extra credit for it."

Emiko let out a thoughtful hum. _"Alright, I'll put him on. (At least this time I'll know where he is…)"_

So, she didn't buy it completely, who cared? Krad just needed her approval.

"_Really? No, mom. Hey, we are not! Mom–I–we–ok, ok I promise! Sheesh. Krad, is that you?"_

"Yes, Dark-san." His voice reflected none of the amusement he had gotten listening to Dark defending himself verbally.

"_Wow, you sound really weird on the phone. Do a celebrity impersonation!"_

Krad reminded himself to be patient. "Dark, do you have Niwa's or Hiwatari's numbers?"

"_Nope, but Saga might. Between he and that guy that follows him at school, I swear they know everything."_

Krad didn't really want Saga to come over, but compromised for the good of not being stuck with Dark alone for long periods of time. "Call him and tell him to call Niwa and Hiwatari. You're all coming over."

"_Alright."_ And Dark hung up.

* * *

Satoshi reached the front gate to his house and paused. He didn't really feel like going in just yet, but didn't really have anything else to do, or anywhere else to go. He had already told Niwa that he couldn't help him that afternoon, but now he wished that he could have somehow kept the boy with him. 

Deciding that he was only wasting time, standing there staring at his own house, he swung the iron gate open and slipped inside the property. Before he reached the door, he already had his keys out of his pocket and the right ones selected without so much as looking at the ring. Even though the car was in the driveway, the house still felt empty when he opened the door.

There was a sound of newspaper rustling just a second before he heard his name in the genial tone he both recognized and felt to be foreign. A hand found its way between his shoulders and Satoshi let himself be steered into the kitchen. "How was school?"

Hiwatari was trying too hard today, but Satoshi let it go. "Fine, father. How was your trip?"

"Oh, it was great. They really seemed to like what we had to offer," Hiwatari was back in his chair, one foot crossed over his knee, and a cup of coffee suspended in one hand. Satoshi figured now would be a fine time to sit. "Keeping your grades up?"

"Yes, Father."

"I heard you were helping a foreign student with his classes. How is that working out for you?"

Satoshi resisted the urge to frown. How did he find out so quickly? "Fine, Father. All it requires me to do is sit in and translate for him." There was an unavoidable slip there, but he already had a counter.

"So if you're spending all your time in his classes, how are you keeping up with your own?" Satoshi pretended not to see the grin that Hiwatari was hiding behind the coffee mug.

"I record the lectures."

"I see," Hiwatari took a loud sip. "Keep up the good work, son."

Satoshi stood, glad the inquisition was over. "Yes, Father."

* * *

"I thought you said he'd have their numbers." Krad muttered as Keiji bounced into his room as if he owned it. 

"He said that was something the other guy knows." And Krad had nothing to say.

* * *

His eyes followed the spot of orange as it bounced up an down. There was hollow sound made every time it struck the ground, but Daisuke liked it. Up and down. There was something about the same thing happening over and over again that he found to be familiar and comforting. That each time he threw the basketball to the ground, it would come back to him. He didn't know if it was strange to find such peace in dribbling or not, but it didn't matter right now. All there was in the world was the empty park, a ball, and himself, simply existing in nice, calm, repetition. 

"Whatcha up to, Niwa-kun?"

All zen left his body in a timid leap, taking Daisuke with it about a foot in the air before they separated for good. He whirled around, startled and embarrassed to see Riku standing there. "Ha-Harada-san! What are you doing out here?"

"Jogging," she smiled, folding her hands behind her and trying hard to stand still. "What about you? Are you always here dribbling after school?"

He gave a nervous chuckle. "Sometimes," he admitted. "You, uh–Do you wanna play?"

Riku didn't even feel the need to consider. "Sure, why not?"

* * *

Krad furrowed his eyebrows in thought at his book. He was doing great–excellent even–and now he was being thrown for a loop. He had understood everything he was reading, he didn't even have to translate it back to English in his head, and then this damn _kanji_ just had to come in. Stupid little symbol that looked a lot like ten others he already knew, but always with one little, important thing different. And this one didn't even have one of the parts that would even let him guess at the meaning. 

He scratched his head, knowing he'd seen it before, knowing he knew what it was in the context he had seen it, but this particular idea behind the essential piece of the Japanese writing system eluded him.

He turned the book sideways, then upside down, then the other sideways, but it didn't help any. Finally, he leaned his head back so that it hung upside-down off his bed. What a day to forget his dictionary at school. He hated asking for help, but he supposed that was the supposed meaning behind the little gathering, even if Niwa and Hiwatari were missing from this particular study group.

Come to think of it, that basically equaled Dark and Keiji coming over to play Krad's video games, much like they were doing at the moment. "Could one of you tell me what this kanji is?"

"I'll do it, I'll do it!" Saga quite literally jumped at the chance, slamming his finger down on the pause button (much to Dark's objection), and cheering that he'd help in that annoying dialect of his, before prancing over, while humming. Krad decided that he would have to post a No Prancing rule for his house. As soon as he figured out a good Japanese equivalent to _prancing_.

Krad pointed to the annoying bit of ink on his once enjoyable piece of literature, and Keiji nodded in understanding.**"It's like this…"** Krad didn't like that Saga decided to switch to English for this, nor that he chose to whisper in Krad's ear like it was a secret, but what was worse was when Saga found it appropriate to use his hands to help demonstrate the meaning in addition to his interesting word-choice, making Krad turn bright red and fling a pillow into Keiji's grinning face before he got his whole body involved in the lengthy explanation.

"**You jackass, it does not!" **Saga giggled. Giggling was also going on the list of Things One Does Not Do at Krad's House. At least the small commotion caught Dark's attention and he shifted over to see exactly what this highly embarrassing word was and plot how he could use it.

"Which one?" Krad jabbed his finger at the stupid little symbol and Dark gave him a pitying look. "You mean _atsui_?" Krad blinked. Krad looked at what he was pointing at. Krad realized Dark was right. Hot. Krad Hikari, master of a thousand languages had forgotten the character for _hot_. _"I like India, even though it gets hot in the Summer."_

"Yes, Dark-san." Well, that was embarrassing. "Thank you."

"Y'know," Dark stated as Saga finally un-paused the game, "My name sounds weird with a _san_ attached to it, so knock it off. If you have to use an honorific, use _kun_."

"Would you rather I drop it altogether?" Krad asked, sarcasm leaking through the diminishing language barrier, but apparently not enough to pierce Dark's thick head.

"Yeah."

"Alright," Krad returned to his book and Dark had an uneasy feeling that this was too easy, "But we meet at your house tomorrow. That means Niwa and Hiwatari, too."

* * *

"Hey, Niwa-kun." 

He dove for her, but she went around him easily, scoring another basket, and he caught it. "Yeah?"

Her eyes followed the ball as it bounced back and forth between his hands, the sunset making everything seem more vivid and alive. "You're good at algebra, right?"

He made a go for mid-court, but she intercepted him, now less than a foot away. "I'm ok, I guess. Why?"

"I was _wondering_–" she made a grab, but he managed to keep the ball with him "–if you could help me out a bit."

They were both tired, maybe that was why he was holding out so well. "Harada-san, I don't think I'm that good."

"I'll help you with your English." The shot Daisuke took bounced off the rim and the ball rolled, forgotten, into the grass. Riku stared at him levelly and he tried to match her gaze, only just now noticing how very golden everything was right now, and thinking it made everything look beautiful. "I'm failing, Niwa-kun. I really need the help."

The last rays of the sun threw everything into a brilliant burnt orange, and Daisuke felt that they were the only ones that saw it. It was a warm feeling that overflowed to his face. "I'm in a study group right now. I'll ask tomorrow to see if you can come, too."

"Thanks, Niwa-kun," she took both his hands in hers, relief spreading across her features, "You're the best." She bounded off, waving good-bye, and Daisuke was left to wonder what exactly had happened there long after his world had plunged into night.

* * *

A/N: And another one joins them. Maybe. What's going on? Who knows? Do I even know? 

**Krad:** By the direction this seems to be going, I'd say you don't.

Ok, so I don't. But the characters do! Actually, I have what I want to happen next chapter already in my head, and I have most of another chapter far into the future typed out, mostly because that one is exciting and full of fun for me to write. So, you can look forward to it. Also, don't forget to check out _Four Miles From the Front_. I'll only have the preface out until I finish this story, but I already have the first three chapters typed. You have no idea how big of a temptation it is to post them up. I can't because the first chapter of it will have a big old spoiler for this story, and then I'll feel bad about sharing it when I ruin the surprise.

Geh, rambling. Tell me what you think. Do you like chapters like these, or chapters like a different chapter? Tell me which one was your favorite so I know what I can do to entertain you all. Byes!


	9. Week Two, Wednesday: A Surprise

A/N: Here it is, just like I promised! Dark's a little violent today, but everyone gets in those moods sometimes. The next chapter will probably be not as tense.

And, now, with fixed formatting errors! Big thank you to Susumi for telling me! I'm trying to come up with original ideas for scenes breaks without using boring lines, but a lot of things I try get stripped out.

* * *

"**Di big b-rown foks jamped oba za raeji dag.**" 

Satoshi resisted the strong urge to slap a hand over his face. Daisuke's pronunciation wasn't getting any better.

"No, Niwa. **The big brown fox jumped over the lazy dog.**"

Daisuke was trying, he could tell, but he just wasn't getting it.

"**Ji big braon foks jumped obaa ja laezy dog.**"

Satoshi frowned. He knew Daisuke had been able to pronounce the Th sound yesterday.

"**The**"

He was just forgetting to annoy him.

"**Zji**"

And it was working, dammit.

"**The**"

Why couldn't the world work where he could put Niwa's tongue exactly where it needed to be without getting his fingers disgustingly wet?

"**Zs****–****The**"

Finally!

"Good. Now say the whole sentence again."

"**The big braun foks jumped oba the laezy dog.**"

Everything else was passable, but one thing still bothered him.

"**Over.**"

Satoshi watched as Niwa reacted in a rather shocked and confused manner.

"Where was that?!"

This was going to be a long day.

"After **jumped**."

And Daisuke wasn't making it any shorter.

"… Oh."

* * *

"Hey, Krad, do you think it's gonna be hot today?" Krad frowned and ignored Dark, instead pretending to be very interested in Saga's doodling. The previous teacher had finished the lesson early and decided a bunch of seniors wouldn't be able to cause too much trouble in the time it would take for the next teacher to arrive, and had simply left them. "Do you know how to spell hot, Krad? It's_ a-tsu-i_." Oh, look, wasn't that Tanaka-sensei? It was actually pretty good. Why was he standing like that? "Do you know how to write hot?" And why did Saga only draw the shirt? "You put the sun over the earth, then cut right through the earth…" And what was that fat guy doing behind–OH GOD! Krad flushed and flew back away from Saga's interesting picture. "Then you draw another sun underneath–"

"I know how to write hot, Dark, Ok?!" Hiwatari finally glanced back up from his book, raising an eyebrow in a question Krad understood easily. "I'll tell you later." Satoshi shrugged and, after taking a quick peek at Keiji's drawing and shaking his head in a pitying manner, returned to the volume. Krad frowned at realizing that Satoshi had hardly taken his nose from the book all day, even translating while reading.

Even Krad had to admit that was creepy.

"Oh, yeah, Hiwatari-kun?" Satoshi looked up again. "**Another study group tonight, this time at Dark's place. You coming?**"

"**Sure. Is Niwa coming, too?**"

"**Yeah.**"

Satoshi flipped the page. "**Niwa said he wants to bring someone to the next meeting. Would that be alright?**"

"**Who?**"

"**The elder Harada girl. Sporty, pretty polite. Apparently, she's failing algebra. Niwa practically begged me this morning just to day I'd ask you.**"

"**Alright, but no more surprise visitors.**" Satoshi merely nodded.

"Ok, what the hell is up with him and that book?" Dark, falling back on theatrics, pointed dramatically at Satoshi as if accusing him of a crime.

"Unlike you, Mousey-senpai, I know how to enjoy literature." There it was again, the chill Krad felt every time Dark and Satoshi confronted.

"Literature, shmiterature. You're been reading the same damn book all morning!" Dark was only getting louder and more active as the battle raged on.

"It happens to be a very interesting story." Satoshi, however unaffected he seemed to most, seemed to Krad to be quite fed up with Dark and his near constant insults.

"It's weird for even a nerd to go around reading all day, _Creepy_."

"It's weird for a student to have long, purple hair, Mousey." He shut the tome with a firm snap and the small crowd of gathered classmates gasped. Both were standing now, the only barrier between them and their raging tempers was the desk Satoshi had been occupying the moment before.

"Like you should talk, blondie."

"Flunk-out."

"Geek!"

"_Genin_." Another gasp, and even though Krad didn't know what Satoshi had said, he knew it was the wrong insult to sling when Dark gave up on words and decided to continue the fight physically. It wasn't anywhere near difficult for Dark to completely clear the desk–the abused furniture overturning as Dark used it to push off of–nor did it take long for him to send out the first punch, but what was surprising to Krad was how, even though he had completely dodged the initial attack, Satoshi froze up and did nothing as Dark's knuckles made contact with his stomach.

Dark's temper seemed to be satisfied when Satoshi's eyes widened and his eyebrows screwed up and he sank to the floor, coughing as he tried to bring air back into his abused diaphragm. By now the entire class was in an uproar, but it didn't last too long. Just as Krad finished giving Dark the strongest disapproving glare he could come up with and was leaning down to help Hiwatari, a very different angry voice cut through the air.

"What's going on in here?" Even Dark's smug grin fell off his face as one of the larger teachers on campus made his way through the dispersing crowd, clearly not very happy about the commotion or what he saw in the middle of it. Krad had never seen a mob clear away so quickly. "Well?"

Satoshi's face began to relax as he regained control over his breathing and watched Dark's expression through a veil of his hair. The elder teen knew he was in for it and that none of his excuses would get him out of this one. Chances are, he'd be expelled and possibly never graduate after that.

"My apologies, Shimokawa-sensei, it was my fault." Dark's disbelieving eyes flew to Satoshi, caught more than off-guard. Shimokawa regarded him with suspicion and Satoshi elaborated on the spot. "I slipped on my bag and fell on the desk. It knocked the wind out of me." It wasn't highly likely story, but at least it was believable.

"Will you need assistance going to the clinic?"

"No, thank you." He stood a little uneasily with help from the neighboring desk. "I should be fine now. I'm sorry I startled everyone."

Satoshi knew he didn't believe it, and Shimokawa knew he knew that, but there was no point in having to do more work than he already had. "Alright, but if there's any more monkey business in here, I'm writing all of you up. Final warning."

"Yes, sir." Shimokawa cleared out just as fast as he had come in and Satoshi bent over right his desk, trying to ignore the three pairs of eyes boring into him–thankfully, Funabashi had the politeness not to stare.

"You didn't rat me out."

He didn't glance up from the straightening of his seat. Dark didn't believe it; he knew the kind of people Dark usually hung out with wouldn't have done any different. Why did he expect him to be so low? "No, Mousey-senpai, I didn't." He leaned over again to collect the papers and his fallen book.

"Why?"

Satoshi sighed as he placed his things on the desk, starting the search for his pen. He actually liked this pen. It always worked, always wrote the first time, and never seemed to run out of ink. "It's just the way I am."

"But you could've–"

"Mousey-senpai," the pen was nowhere in sight, and it wasn't so valuable that he was going to overturn the entire classroom to find it. He'd just use a different pen. "I'm short-tempered, not stupid. If I had told Shimokawa what had happened, you and I would have both been expelled. I'm rather counting on finishing school on time."

Dark gave a loud laugh and Satoshi found it strange that he wasn't annoyed. "What are you reading, anyway?"

"_The Tale-Tell Heart._"

"Ok." It didn't take a genius to figure out that Dark had no idea what he was talking about.

"A man works at an old man's house, taking care of him because the old man is too old to take care of himself. The old man has this pale blue eye and the more he works for him, the more obsessed he becomes over it. Every night, he waits at the old man's door with a lantern and opens the door so just a sliver of light shines on that eye, every night opening the door a little further to show even more light on the eye.

"He does this for weeks, turning into months, until he finally makes the beam of light large enough the cover his hole eye, but the old man wakes up. With a shout, the man runs in and smothers the old man to death with a pillow, then buries him under the floorboards.

"The next day, the police come, investigating the shout, and the man lets them in, confident he won't get caught. The police find nothing and agree to some tea, and the man sets up his own chair right above where he placed the body–"

"Sorry I'm late!" A flustered Karasawa came rushing in and began to write quickly across the blackboard. "There was a mix-up in the teacher's lounge. Ok, so you already know the long way to do the quadratic formula, so now I'm going to show you the shorter, easier way."

Satoshi went back to mindless translator mode and Dark went back to his seat, sort of curious at how the story would end.

* * *

Krad gave a short sigh of relief as he approached the edge of the campus. It had taken a while to ditch Saga today–the damn kid was like a leech–and now he had everyone waiting on him. "There you are!" … Or not. He turned around to face Dark as the teen bounded up to him. "I've been looking everywhere for you."

"And you couldn't just wait for me with everyone else?"

"Of course not!" Krad's skepticism did not fade. "Ok, ok, I had a tough time losing Shimokawa."

"That's what I thought," he gave a smile of approval and didn't even bother to dodge the arm that landed across his shoulder. "Let's go, they're waiting on us. By the way," Dark perked up at the slightly threatening tone in Krad's voice, "Your mom _does_ know we're coming, right? No death-traps today?"

"Are you kidding? Of course she does." Krad breathed a sigh of relief. "Besides, she'd be so pissed if I got expelled for killing a couple of first-years." They passed through the gate and Niwa announced their presence, Satoshi barely gave them any attention, and oh look, there was the new girl. Short reddish-brown hair, tom-boy, pretty sporty, but not at all unattractive. Instantly, Dark fixated on her. "Well, hello there Miss. If I had known we had a special guest this afternoon, I'd have gotten here sooner."

His flirting was met with the snide reply of a peevish first-year–definitely not what he had expected. "That pervert is in the study-group?"

"Pervert?" Krad chuckled at Dark's utterance, thoroughly amused at the way his world seemed to shatter.

* * *

Dark hurried to get ahead of everyone as soon as they were on property, just to be on the safe side, and gave the welcome mat a fair stomp to make sure it was secure before opening the door. He had remembered to tell her, but Emiko wasn't known for being the least absent-minded parent on the face of the earth. "Mom! We're here!"

"Oh, there you are!" She emerged from the kitchen, bright and smiling, and carrying a tray of cookies. Dark eyed them, trying to decide if they were safe to eat. "I was getting–" The tray clattered to the ground, startling everyone and Emiko's world focused entirely on the youngest one in the room.

"Mom?" Dark stopped halfway through changing his shoes. "Mom, what's wrong?"

"D-Daisuke?"

Niwa's backpack dropped to the floor with a sound thud. Dark's mom–she looked just like the lady in the picture.

"Daisuke? Honey?" He watched as Dark's mom began to tremble and approach him, not knowing what he was supposed to do as she placed her hands on his shoulders. "Do you remember me?" He didn't, but he didn't answer, afraid of hurting her feelings. "I'm your mother."

"What?!" Dark's eyes flicked back and forth between Niwa and Emiko, seeing the resemblance immediately. No wonder Daisuke had looked familiar when they had first met; he had the same hair color and almost the exact same face as his mother. Krad, knowing it wasn't going to get any calmer for a while, quietly ushered Satoshi and Riku upstairs so if nothing else, the reunited family could have a bit of privacy. He could get details from Dark later. "Are you saying that Niwa and I are brothers?"

Emiko didn't respond other than sending a soft look Dark's way. Daisuke spoke up quietly: "Does dad know?"

"Yes, he knows." Her hand ran through his hair and it was a decidingly good feeling. Daisuke then voiced the question that most bothered him, even though instinct told him that he shouldn't ask. "Why aren't you together?"

She didn't look mad at him for asking, and he was relieved. "Why don't we sit down and talk about it?"

* * *

Krad kept a tight lid on his annoyance as he tried to find the appropriate words in his vocabulary to explain. Satoshi was being no help at all, deciding that having Krad tutor Riku would be another perfect exercise for his learning Japanese. The problem was that he had yet to learn the terms he would need to describe it. He didn't even know if there _was_ a phrase in Japanese that would communicate to her that she needed to divide both sides by ten next. "_Jyû de__–__wo... ni?_ **Dammit, Hiwatari-kun, help me out here.**"

"**Fine.**"

The instant, simultaneous translation had hardly began before Riku spoke up. "Whoa, whoa, wait!" It was more than a little confusing to hear both of them talking at once, and understand what she was supposed to be doing at the same time. "Don't do that, I can't keep up."

Satoshi frowned, but took pity on her. He didn't even need to translate for Krad when he could explain it himself. "**Hikari-senpai, you can go do whatever, I can explain it to her.**"

"**Alright.**" Krad got up and left the warm, messy room that reminded him of a vacation he once took to the tropics and Satoshi returned his attention to Riku.

"Ok, now you need to isolate the x, right? So to do that, what do you need to get rid of?"

She looked at the equation. "The 10?"

"That's right. So how do you get rid of a ten when it's attached to the x?"

"…Erase it?"

Satoshi held on to his patience, only because he knew she was taking an honest shot at it. "No, you divide the whole equation by ten."

"I guess that makes sense."

* * *

"So you and Dad got divorced?" Daisuke asked, trying to confirm what he had just been told. As far as Emiko had said, they had met in college, began dating, and eventually married. Kosuke went out and got an archeological job almost immediately and was away for long periods of time, then went through weeks and sometimes months without a steady job. They had Dark and it became a little harder to support themselves and eventually, after a lot of fighting, Emiko quit her part-time position at a convenience store to instead work full-time at a firm. Three years later, along came Daisuke and everything just became tougher. She and Kosuke eventually fought so much that they decided it was better not to continue in their marriage.

But something didn't make sense, and Dark wasn't about to sit by and not have his questions left unanswered. "What were you fighting about?" Emiko's eyebrows gathered uncertainly, and Dark interrupted her before she began. "The truth, mom."

"Well, because–" She trailed off, trying to think of the softest way she could say it. "Your father and I loved each other very much, and he was also very loyal and wanted nothing more than for me to be loyal back. And, well, you don't look very much like your father at all, Dark-Sweetie. No matter how much I reassured him and told him, he never believed that you were his son."

"So Dad thought you–" Daisuke started.

"That's right."

It was apparently a concept Dark didn't like. "That distrusting old bastard! Who does he think he is? Accusing you of sleeping around like that! _He's_ the one who was always away."

"Dark, Honey, Kosuke-san wasn't–"

Very quickly, Emiko found herself cut off in the middle of a shouting match. "Hey, you're wrong. He isn't like that!"

"Didn't you listen to a thing Mom said? He pretty much accused her of being a whore!"

"And _I_ said he isn't like that!"

"So are you covering for him, or is your dad a liar?"

"You take that back!"

"I don't take back the truth!" Emiko squeaked and pressed herself back as Daisuke launched himself over to Dark's side of the couch. In an instant, both boys had tumbled to the floor between the coffee table and the couch, kicking and shouting and swinging almost blindly to hit the other. It wasn't long before Dark had the smaller boy pinned beneath him with Daisuke wiggling, hoping to get even an arm free so he could try to hit Dark again. Frustrated tears pricked at his eyes when he realized he had lost, and Dark, seeing this, decided to rub it in. "Say Uncle."

"No," even if he had lost, Daisuke could still be stubborn.

"C'mon," he sing-songed victoriously. "Say it, Dai-chan, say Uncle."

"No."

"I'm not gonna get off you until you say it."

"Then I guess we're never going to get up."

Krad smirked up from the landing between the first and second floors. "Not even an hour and you two are already like brothers."

"Krad? How long've you been up there?" Dark's grip loosened as his attention was diverted just enough for Daisuke to be able to shove his way free. Dark didn't make a move to recapture him.

"A while," he shrugged. "I'm borrowing Niwa-kun for English now if that's alright."

"Sure, I'm done picking on him. But only for a little while," Daisuke's quiet seething was interrupted by his own yelp when Dark pulled him back over and mussed his hair, "I need to spend more time with my new baby brother, Dai-chan."

"I'm not a baby," he objected, hands trying vainly to disconnect him with Dark.

"Dai-chan, huh?" Krad shook his head. "You better not be too rough on him, ok? You need to make Niwa-kun like his older brother."

"Yeah, yeah," he released Daisuke, who wasted no time in starting up the stairs.

"Daisuke!" Emiko, who had gone from slightly worried, to highly amused at her two boys, finally broke into the banter. "I want you to know that you and your father can come over at any time, ok?"

"Alright, Mou–Mom." Emiko beamed as an embarrassed Daisuke disappeared up the stairs, feeling like her home was a little more complete now.

* * *

It was still twilight when they had all decided it was time to go home. Everything had gone rather smoothly after the beginning, and Dark had even found the time to get Krad addicted to Pikmin sometime after dinner. Originally, Satoshi had planned on walking home by himself, but he hadn't really considered that would mean Riku walking home alone. By no means did he think she was helpless, but they lived in the same direction anyway.

It became that time where it was dark, but the streetlights had yet to switch on, and Satoshi had the mind to glance up. By no means did they live in a small town, but it wasn't overly large and they were far from the main part of the city. Immediately, Satoshi could spot the dusty line of the Milky Way and follow it across to Scorpio, from there finding all sorts of constellations, even though many of them didn't resemble the figures they represented.

He was interrupted from his star-finding journey when Riku jerked on his arm and he stumbled back to the middle of the sidewalk. He looked at her questioningly. "Sorry, you were about to walk off the sidewalk."

"Oh, thanks." He stole a glance back toward the heavens, but the lamp above him flicked on and the beautiful sight was obscured.

"Hiwatari-kun?" He abandoned his self-appointed quest and answered with a hum. "Thanks for helping me with math. I think I really get it now."

"It's no problem, Harada-san."

She found the silence awkward and after waiting for Satoshi to come up with something to talk about, she tried being conversational herself. "So, my sister seems to have given up on making you her boyfriend."

"Yeah."

"Have you ever gone out with anybody?"

"No, I haven't."

"Oh, well that's cool. Most guys–"

"Harada-san, it's ok to talk about something you actually want to talk about."

Riku gave an embarrassed smile. "You saw right through me."

"It's something I do."

"That's cool." She locked her hands behind her head, ignoring the crisp chill the night brought. "It's pretty weird how Niwa and that pervert ended up being brothers, huh?"

"Yeah, they don't look or act anything alike."

She chuckled. "Next thing you know, we mind find out you and Hikari-senpai are brothers. Now that'd be weird."

"I think Hikari-senpai's an only child," Satoshi offered, giving his response a little thought.

"What about you?"

"I'm adopted."

Then Riku said "oh", like she had said something wrong.

"It's fine. It doesn't bother me or anything." They came up on a low brick wall and Satoshi proceeded to walk that instead of the concrete sidewalk, balancing easily on the wide, flat surface. "My father adopted me when I was still really young. I don't even really remember much before that."

"Risa and I have both our parents."

"What's that like?" Satoshi asked curiously. "Living with your real mother and father?"

Riku didn't know how to answer that.

* * *

When Daisuke got home, Kosuke was sitting at the kitchen table, forehead supported by a hand, staring down intently at something Daisuke couldn't yet see. He tread quietly, not wanting to startle him. "Dad?"

"Hm? Oh, Daisuke!" Kosuke put on the cheer, looking even more strained than he had the day before. "You're home. How was school?"

Usually, he would have let his father lead the conversation, but today it was important. "Dad, what happened to Mom?"

All at once, Kosuke's togetherness seemed to drain and his reply came in short stutters before he figured out what it was he wanted to say. "Well, she–I mean, we–Um, I'm sure I've told you–Daisuke, can we talk about this later?"

"Sure, Dad."

* * *

A/N: Well, there you go! I typed most of this up today, by the way, so it may still be a little rough. Please feel free to tell me if you find errors here, or anywhere else on my stories. And be sure to send me some feedback.

And since I was asked to explain, _genin_ is written with the characters for down/lower and person, thus, it can be loosely translated as low-life, or words of similar nature.


	10. Week Two, Saturday: Fast Forward

AN: In this chapter, I fulfill a request. Or at least, I think I do. She who made the request for a certain character to show up some more should know what I'm talking about. I was going to save it for the next chapter but...

A) I'm terrible in that I want to tell the whole story all at once. In real life, I'm a walking spoiler warning.

B) It just flows better this way.

Well, here's the next installment. As always, as I don't have a Beta (and would probably not make use of one even if I had one),please tell me if you spot any errors in formatting, grammar, magic-changing hair colors, etc... since it would be a great help to me! (Author's Notes do not count, as these don't count towards the real story.)

* * *

Thursday and Friday came and went with hardly a hitch. There was very little to take note of other than Daisuke found that each day, he spent longer and longer periods both at the Mousey's house, and while there, away from the study group and just talking with Emiko; and Satoshi figured out a system for tests and quizzes. He would simply attend his regular class for the allotted time, letting Krad fend for himself or employing Saga to help, while he took the exam as quickly as he could, then return. 

Riku continued to join the group, with the elders' approvals, and they continued to meet at Dark's house because it was both closest to the school, and closest to the houses of those without rides home. Everything seemed to be going smoothly, and Daisuke rejoiced Friday afternoon when his English test came back with a C .

Saturday morning, the new routine was thrown off.

Satoshi was not there waiting for Daisuke for tutoring.

* * *

Daisuke sat in his chair, looking out the window at the birds flying by and drawing mindless loops on his paper with the mechanical pencil that had run out of lead three class periods ago, but he hadn't noticed. He had waited for Satoshi that morning for nearly two hours before realizing he had his own class to get to. 

It was decidingly unlike Hiwatari to not show up without telling someone, especially to something like school. The longer Daisuke thought on this, the more worried he got. Satoshi should have been there. Satoshi should have been in the Senior's class right now, but he wasn't. Even the camcorder Satoshi had been leaving pointed at the chalk boards hadn't shown up, nor had the tape recorder.

In the back of his mind, Daisuke began to wonder when Satoshi found time to watch it all. The study sessions went to 8 o'clock easily, sometimes going on to ten at night. During that time, Satoshi would help everyone and not do a thing to study for himself. Riku had told him that Satoshi had walked her home the first night–afterwards, Riku had been able to arrange her mother to pick her up–and that even though Satoshi had told her that it was on the way, that was still nearly an hour to walk.

That meant Satoshi would have to walk at least and hour to arrive at school at four-thirty at the least, Daisuke knew because he had once tried to be the first to show up and Satoshi was already there.

Forget when he studied, when did he sleep?

Daisuke's eyes tore into the sparrow on the window sill, as if it could answer him. Well, at least one good thing came out of all this.

He didn't have to tell Satoshi yet that he couldn't pay him for morning tutoring sessions any more.

He hadn't heard the bell, or noticed the students beginning to clear out, but the shout of 'Dai-chan' most certainly shook him out of his trance as Dark stormed in. All thoughts of Satoshi fled as a new problem arose: how to keep his classmates from knowing that Dark Mousey was his brother. "Y-yes, Mousey-senpai?"

Hopefully Dark would catch on. He wanted to keep it a secret just a little while longer. "You seen Hiwatari today? He didn't show up to class."

Most of the students left in the room were staring now. Why were they still here? Shouldn't they be going home? It was a half-day. They should all be racing down the corridors, not watching a Senior hottie harass poor 'Niwa-kun'. "I-I-I-I haven't–haven't seen him."

The looks those girls were giving him were pretty. "God dammit, when you see him, tell him he's got some explaining to do." Pretty scary, that is. "Thanks to him, Krad's mad at me!" Had they all understood what Dark meant by the nickname? "I don't know why, but he's mad about something, and I'm telling you–" Could they have figured everything out already? "–it's all Hiwatari's fault."

"Y-yes, Da-a–Mousey-senpai. I–I'll be sure to tell him wh-when I see him." Daisuke gave a proper bow. Maybe it would relay the message that Dark was just weird and he wouldn't be bothered about all this.

Unfortunately, Dark was not one who was known to take subtle hints. "Whachu talkin' all weird for, Dai-chan? You sick?"

Ok, brothers or not, Dark did _not_ need to be feeling his forehead in front of the class. "No, I–!"

"Well then hurry up! We're going over to Krad's to play Kamatari."

* * *

They were hardly a couple blocks towards Krad's house when Dark proposed they stopped for food. It was near noon and no one had eaten enough at breakfast that made them object. It was decided that the next restaurant they passed would be where they ate. That restaurant just happened to be a McDonald's. 

Krad stared at the store front exasperatedly, but walked in with everyone else, though not with the enthusiasm Dark did. Was there no place in the world where he could escape those golden arches? "I'll go grab us a table." Daisuke offered then teleported away–or so Krad reasoned, as there was no possible way Niwa could vanish so quickly.

Krad frowned a little. Niwa didn't have to go snipe a table. The place wasn't anywhere near crowded and it wouldn't be difficult to fit the three of them in a booth. Finally, he turned his attention to the menu, only to be a little surprised at what he saw. There were a lot of items he didn't recognize, and a few he didn't know how to read. It was just like Japan to go and change his American fast-food place into something completely different.

Dark seemed to reach a decision and realized all at once that a certain redhead was missing. "Krad, where'd Dai-chan disappear to?" Dark glanced around, peeked beneath a display, then lifted his foot. Krad shook his head. Why did Dark think it was even a possibility that Niwa was beneath his foot?

"Dunno. He said something about getting us a table." They went through the process of ordering and, though he was amazed at the sheer amount of food Dark ordered, Krad practically beat him into submission that the blond would pay. It wasn't long before the food was up and it wasn't too difficult to find Daisuke. Krad scooted into the booth with his tray. "Ok, Niwa-kun, you can go order now."

"Oh no, I'm fine."

Daisuke was smiling and any other day, it would have been nice, but right now it was irritating. "It's alright. You can get yourself some food now."

"No, really, I'm ok."

Krad fished one of Dark's burgers out of the pile. "Eat this then."

Dark objected with a miffed "Hey!" but Krad decided today was his day to be stubborn.

"Dark, you have seven hamburgers. You will not starve if you let your younger brother eat one."

"No, no," Daisuke pushed the wrapped, processed symbol of unhealthiness away. "I don't want to eat Dark's food."

"Good, that settles it," Krad smirked. Daisuke eeped. "If you don't go and let me buy you something to eat, I'll make you eat something we already have, and you will be depriving one of us of part of our meal. Which will it be?"

Daisuke sighed and accepted the proffered cash reluctantly. "But I'll pay you back." Krad just shook his head.

* * *

Daisuke stared off into space from his spot on the bed. As absolutely _thrilling_ it was to watch Dark's character gather up the entire world to form a large sphere, he was bored. If he had known that the entire afternoon would have been spent like this, he would have gone home or something. At least then he'd be able to do something, not sitting at someone's home, just watching Dark and Krad play a game. Maybe he should say something. Yeah, that was it. But what about? 

"Krad-senpai, where was Hiwatari-kun today?"

"I don't know," he leaned his head back instead of turning to face him. "I hope nothing's happened to him. Dark had Saga had Funabashi call his house, but apparently no one picked up."

"Shouldn't we check on him?" He leaned forward a little, now worried. He thought for sure one of them would know.

"None of us knows where he lives. We could try calling him again, but–"

Suddenly, Daisuke's face lit up. "Oh! Y'know what? I bet he's off with his dad!" This caught the attention of Dark as well. "He said he was back in town the other day and would want to spend time with him. Maybe he just took Hiwatari-kun out for the day."

Krad smiled, even though he didn't feel like it. "Yeah, maybe." He didn't know why, but he didn't believe one word of Daisuke's theory.

* * *

"See ya, Krad. Me and Dai-chan are gonna hang out for a while." Krad waved them off, ignoring Daisuke's protests as Dark continued to pick on him, then shut the door as soon as they were off the porch. He trudged over to the couch and let himself flop down on it, lifting the house phone off the receiver and thinking twice before dialing. 

"**Saga**," he made a face. "**No, I don't want you to come over. Listen****–****No, listen. I need you or Funabashi to give me Hiwatari's number. You have it? Great**." He read the number back as it was recited to him, writing it on his hand with a finger to help him remember. Another vaguely disgusted look passed his face. "**No, I will not tell you what I'm wearing right now**." And he hung up.

* * *

"So, you tell your old man yet?" Dark spoke off-handedly as he snuck a quick glance at Daisuke then returned to regarding a music shop. 

"Tell him what?" Daisuke didn't know what was so interesting about it. The only instruments in the front window were guitars, and though they all looked nice, they all looked the same to him.

"That you've met mom," the purple-haired man spoke as if it were obvious, clearly thinking about something else.

"No, not yet."

Again, Dark looked at him sideways, then found it appropriate to change the subject altogether. "You play any instruments?"

"Does the recorder count?" The look his older brother gave him told him recorders most certainly did not count. Dark sucked his teeth.

"Gonna have to learn to play something," he mumbled as he sauntered into the store, Daisuke following only because he had nothing better to do.

"What do you play?"

He had expected Dark to shrug and tell him that he couldn't; not that he'd turn to him with a smirk. "I can play just about anything."

Daisuke didn't believe him. Dark was a school-renowned playboy. The title was practically synonymous with compulsive liar as far as the redhead was concerned. "Prove it."

"Alright." Dark was just full of surprises today. "After we figure out what you should play." Or not. He was probably just waiting for Daisuke to forget he even called him out on it, that sneaky weasel. "Now, let's see," Dark surveyed the shop again, a hand on his chin as he considered every tool of music that caught his attention. But this wasn't about himself. It was about Dai-chan, and that just made it harder to chose. "Tuba? No. Xylophone? No." Suddenly, Dark had reached a decision. "Ok, Dai-chan, drums or violin?"

That proved it. Daisuke's new brother was insane. "I'm not even going to chose until you can prove to me that you can play an instrument." Dark shook his head. Why did this kid have to be so stubborn? What did he think? That he was lying?

"Fine, but not today." That answer seemed to leave Daisuke pretty smug. He wasn't sure if he liked brother-Daisuke as much as he had liked underclassman-Daisuke, but maybe it was just that he wasn't used to him not hiding behind the ritualistic relationships they were both used to. A plan came to mind, and Dark fished his cell-phone out of his pocket. "Call your dad. Tell him your staying over tonight."

Daisuke looked confused, but did it anyway.

* * *

Krad tried the number again from his cell phone. It rang once, twice, thrice, four times, then the answering machine came on, confirming that it was the Hiwatari residence, but claiming that no one was home at the time. With a sigh, he hit the redial button again and let the mobile device rest between his shoulder and cheek as he typed away. 

Again, his search yielded nothing.

This was getting frustrating, and Krad tried a different site. The Hiwatari's weren't listed in the phone book, and two of the three web sites Krad could find did not have a listed address for the number Saga had given him.

It didn't look like this one had one, either.

The answering machine picked up again, and Krad was just annoyed enough that he was going to leave a message. "**Hiwatari-kun, this is Krad. I know someone's there, dammit; you pressed the ignore button the first time I called and that sent me straight to the answering machine**." There, he had given the proof. Surely someone would pick up. "**Ok, so I know you're there. You're not fooling anyone. Now pick up the phone. Pick up the phone. Pick up the phone.**" He paused, realizing that the repetition would only annoy the Hiwataris as well."**I'm a very stubborn person, Hiwatari-kun, and I have free weekend minutes. You have to pick up or suffer my voice through the answering machine**."

Krad waited a couple seconds and gave a short sigh. "**Pick up the phone**."

* * *

"Hey, Dai-chan, why don't you surprise mom by going through the door and pretending it's me?" 

Daisuke looked at him skeptically.

"It'll be a nice surprise for her."

Daisuke did not look convinced.

"Trust me."

Daisuke shook his head and turned the knob.

A Cheshire-Cat grin broke out on Dark's face as his younger brother disappeared through the door and promptly let forth a scream. Dark had been right.

Emiko had set traps that night.

* * *

Krad stabbed the mouse button with his finger, positively enraged at the internet. For being the knower of all things, it certainly had a hard time giving him Satoshi's address. He'd stopped the incessant calling when he took a break for dinner, and made only periodic calls until nearly 7pm. Not once did anyone other than the answering machine answer him. 

If Krad decided to be honest with himself, he would have admitted that he was worried, but his stubbornness and ego got in the way. No, he was only pissed off at Satoshi and his apparent phone-answering phobia.

Yes, that was it. Not worried. Just angry.

And, dammit, what was the point of getting the number from Saga if no one ever answered?

Krad's train of thought derailed and emotion drained from him for a moment as something dawned on him. Had he any less self-control, he would have slapped himself in the forehead, but instead he reached for his forgotten phone and dialed that annoying Osakan again. "**Saga, it's Krad. What? No, I'm not soliciting anything. Especially not that. No****–****Just****–****! Saga, stop being an idiot and let me talk. Ok? Are you done? No more interruptions? You sure?**" Why did he always feel like he was talking to a five-year-old when he had one-on-one conversations with Keiji? "**Good. Ok, now I need another favor****–****No, not that kind of favor; get your mind out of the gutter.**" An extremely perverted five-year-old. "**Sa****–****Saga. Saga, what did I just say about interrupting?**"

If at any point, Krad decided he cared enough to know when Saga's birthday was, he was going to buy him a few month's worth of Ritalin. "**Now, is there any way you can get me Hiwatari's address?**" He let Keiji speak then, and wished he hadn't. "**No, Saga, I'm not going over there to molest him.**"

* * *

After watching Dark get positively reamed for tricking him like that by Emiko and a particularly filling dinner, where Dark assured Emiko several times that, yes, Kosuke did know Daisuke was staying the night at a friend's house; no, this was not just an excuse to pick on him more; and yes, Daisuke was staying of his own free will, the two of them went upstairs under the guise of homework. 

Daisuke had the sneaking suspicion that Dark was using him as a way to get around whatever it was that tried to kill him when Daisuke had walked through the door.

Actually, once they were upstairs, Dark promptly turned on the stereo, donned a pair of headphones, grabbed a magazine out of the stack by his door, and after throwing some of the clothes on his bed to the floor to clear a space, flopped down on the mattress and began flipping through the flimsy pages. Daisuke shook his head in disgust at the state of Dark's room and carefully made his way to the desk.

Daisuke hadn't lied, he actually had homework.

Five minutes into math, Daisuke's mind had successfully pulled away from the paper and concentrated on tapping his pencil on the hard wood of the desk to the beat of the even harder rock music. At first, it had just been a lot of noise, but now he could hear that there were real instruments there, real voices, and a distinguishable melody, not a bunch of toddlers running through a music store with dynamite in their little hands. And when he thought about it, he really liked the beat.

"Hey, Dark," he turned to face the purple-haired teen, but gained no response. Irked, Daisuke bent down and picked up a shirt and chucked it right at the face of his music-minded brother and that certainly got his attention. Daisuke waited for him to pull the ear-phone out of an ear before even trying to communicate. "What band is this?"

"Tropical Gorilla. They're not very–" Dark's eyes jumped to Daisuke's hand, still mindlessly tapping away the beat, hardly pausing as the tracks changed to adapt to the new song. Daisuke noticed Dark's gaze, but what made him more nervous was the smirk that grew on his face. "Dai-chan, have you ever played the drums before?"

Daisuke's face twisted in puzzlement and he deliberately stilled his hand. "No, why?"

"You're going to learn to play the drums." Dark made the decision without consulting Daisuke with far too much ease, poking the listening device back in his ear. "Starting tomorrow."

Daisuke shook his head and ignored him, trying to return to his homework, but found he could concentrate on nothing but the songs pouring from the stereo.

* * *

Satoshi heard the sounds of the ringing phone echo through the house spurring him back into the world of consciousness. He'd been hearing it only periodically now, instead of the near-constant it was at before. Now, it only occurred often enough to keep him teetering between staring blankly at the ceiling and peaceful, welcome sleep. 

The answering machine in the hall whirred to life and he heard someone's voice muffled by distance and his door, but the tone seemed different from the one that had talked on and on before. This one was more informative than attention-seeking, and he wondered what it could possibly be trying to tell them.

The voice stopped.

He stared up at his ceiling, far too tired to move from his spot on his bed. He liked this ceiling. It was such a peaceful, calm ceiling, painted the softest of blues he noticed only once in a while, then forgot about for a long time. Everything in this room was pretty much the same as it was when he moved here as a small child, except that some things had been replaced by larger versions of their predecessors. The walls were still the faded blue that would have passed as white if not for his bed sheets, which were the epitome of whiteness of anything in the room.

His view of the ceiling was interrupted by the slow blade of the fan above his head, circulating the air, but it wasn't enough. It was still stuffy in his room and he wanted to open the window. The clothes he wore still smelled of yesterday's walk home, and everything hurt.

**FLASHBACK**

"_Satoshi, what is this?" It was past eleven when he got home, and the very first thing Kei had wanted was to see any and all new grades._

"_It's my English test, Father." He knew it would be displeasing, but there was no hiding it._

"_The grade for it is a B. How did you get a B, Satoshi?" He didn't like it when Kei circled him like that, especially when it was late and he was tired. It made him feel hunted._

"_I rushed."_

_Kei rustled the paper as he brought it up to his own face. "You wrote for _Mainichi Tôkyô-eki ni tomodachi ni aimasu, _'**I meet my fiends every day at Tokyo station.**' Do you meet fiends, Satoshi?" He'd forgotten an _r_. One forgotten letter had changed the whole grade on the short quiz._

"_No, Father." One letter changed the whole meaning._

"_That's right. We don't rush, and we don't meet fiends. Do you understand, Satoshi?"_

"_Yes, Father." A hand rested on his shoulder and he felt trapped._

"_We don't get B's, do we, Satoshi?" He felt nervous._

"_No, Father." He felt panicked._

_The voice of his father was menacing to his ears. "Then why did you get one?"_

**END FLASHBACK**_  
_

The blade passed in front of the ceiling again.

A ring reverberated through the house again, but this one was much different from before. In the back of his mind, he realized it to be the doorbell and recognized that it meant someone was at the door. The fact that it went unanswered and that it was only a little past 8 convinced Satoshi that his father hadn't returned yet and there was no one to answer whoever it was calling on them.

It seemed whoever it was, they didn't much care, and rang again. Satoshi let this go on a little while longer before he rose as if he was a hundred years old and made his way across the hall and down the stairs. The ringing became much more demanding and Satoshi's patience was running thin by the time his hand reached the knob.

"Yes, can I help–?" Satoshi froze when he saw exactly who was lurking on his porch after sunset. "Hikari-senpai?"

Krad regarded Satoshi carefully, trying not to let his mood cloud exactly what he saw. First of all, Satoshi was for once not neat and tidy-looking. Quite the opposite in fact. His hair hadn't been combed–maybe not even washed today–his uniform was all askew, the glasses were missing, and Satoshi himself looked worn out. "Are you ok?"

"How did you find out where I live?" All ruffled up or not, Satoshi's mind was quick to catch up to the situation. He crossed his arms and leaned against the jamb, never letting his eyes leave the blurry figure of Krad.

"Saga told me." Krad causally let himself in and Satoshi didn't argue.

"How did Saga know?"

"How does Saga know anything?" Krad tossed back and Satoshi didn't have an answer. "Where were you today? We were all worried." Satoshi's gaze tore into him, and Krad had to amend his statement: "Niwa and I were worried."

"I was here." Satoshi was still skeptical over whether or not anyone was actually worried. He figured it was something closer to curiosity. Satoshi did, after all, have perfect attendance prior to that morning.

Fed up with Satoshi's dodging and incomplete answers, Krad tried being more direct. "Why weren't you at school?"

"Because I was here."

Krad began to wonder if Satoshi even realized he was avoiding answering. "Why didn't you go to school?"

Satoshi didn't answer right away, instead trying to discern to time on the grandfather clock across the room, his tone becoming even more detached as he did so. "You should leave soon. My father doesn't approve of having people he hasn't met visiting the house."

"Maybe I should meet him! Then maybe I'll find out why you didn't go to school and why no one answers the phone."

This option, it seemed, was one Satoshi distinctly did not like. "**Krad.**" The elder was surprised not only by the sudden switch in languages, but also at the fact that Satoshi used his first name. "**Go home.**"

"Now, now, Satoshi," Krad didn't miss the way shock appeared and disappeared from Satoshi's face in an instant before he seemed to switch into an entirely different person at the sound of this new voice, "That's no way to treat a guest." Krad turned slowly to see a smiling brown-haired man with a long face, sharp eyes, and thin glasses. Something about him made all of his mental warning bells go off at once and Krad didn't understand why.

"Father, this is Hikari Krad-senpai. He is the one I am assisting." Krad gave a polite how-do-you-do. "Hikari-senpai, this is my father, Hiwatari Kei."

Krad was about to give a proper bow when Kei genially offered his hand instead. Krad shook it awkwardly. "Oh, so this is the infamous Hikari heir. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. Have you been in Japan long?"

"No, sir, just a little over a month."

"And how are you liking it so far?"

Krad wondered how he was supposed to answer that. "I think it is a very nice place to live, sir."

"I'm glad you like it." Krad snuck a glance around Kei and noticed how very nervous Satoshi looked. "What brings you here to the Hiwatari house-hold?"

"I was just checking on Hiwatari-kun, sir. He wasn't in class today so a few of us were wondering if he was alright." A white lie, but Krad felt it might have been necessary.

"I'm glad so many of the classmates care so much for my little Satoshi, but as you can see, he's just fine." Kei made his way behind Satoshi and clapped his hands down in what could have been interpreted as a loving gesture on his shoulders, as if showing him off to Krad. "I advised him to take a break today, due to the current state of his academic success. I can't have my only son exhausting himself in his studies."

Everything Kei said just made Krad feel a little more anxious. "I suppose so."

"Why don't you go on home, Hikari-kun? It's getting late, and I'm sure your parents are very worried about you."

"Yes, sir." There was a short set of good-byes and the door shut as soon as Krad turned to walk away, and the further away he got from the door, the stronger the feeling was that he shouldn't leave.

* * *

AN: Ok, so I really filled 2 requests: one for more Saga perversion, and one for more Creepy-Satoshi's-Dad. I hope that was creepy enough! 

I'm thinking of doing a special chapter next, like an interlude or an omake, since I don't have any plans for what they're doing on Sunday, but for now, some bloopers!

Prologue: Scene Three:  
**Daisuke:** -blushes as he sees Riku, then looks away embarrassed and walks away with his trays-  
**Director:** Cut! Daisuke, you were supposed to trip.  
**Daisuke: **But that would hurt.  
**Director:** I don't care. Tripping is in the script, so tripping is what you'll do. Otherwise, Satoshi can't help you up and Risa would catch him. Then he'd be bound and gagged in her room for the rest of the story, and _then_ what would I do?  
**Daisuke:** I guess you're right. -trips on his way back to his spot-

Chapter One: Scene Two:  
**Krad:** -repeatedly banging his head on the desk- Ow. -sits up straight-**  
Dark:** "Ow" isn't in the... Krad?**  
Krad:** Mm?  
**Dark:** You're bleeding.  
**Krad:** -brings his hand up to the wound and it comes back red- That would explain the pain, wouldn't it.  
**Dark:** Yeah... Maybe we should get that bandaged. It's bleedin' pretty bad.  
**Krad:** I think I'll be... -faints from the blood loss-  
**Dark:** And here I thought you foreigners were supposed to have super powers.

Chapter Three: Scene One:  
**Satoshi:** -nibbles on the doughnut-  
**Daisuke:** It's not too weird, is it?  
**Satoshi:** ... OmigoshDaisukethisstuffisgreat!Ineedtohavemoredoyouhaveany?Ohgodthisstuffisawesomewhatdidyoucallitagain?Ican'tbelieveI'veneverhaditbeforeImusthavemore, more, **MOOOOOOOOORRRRRREEEEEE!!!!!!!  
Daisuke:** ... Aaaand that's enough sugar for you Hiwatari-kun.

Chapter Four: Scene Four:  
**Riku:** -nibbles on the end of her pencil- _I wonder what Risa's really up to. I thought she liked that Senior._ -bites off the end of the eraser and starts choking. Hack hack, cough cough- N-no worries. I'm fine.  
**Director:** Maybe you should use a pen from here on out.

Chapter Six: Scene Seven:  
**Daisuke:** -jogs over to get Satoshi's glasses, but they are run over by the car- What the? -picks up the glasses, which are not broken- _I know I saw them get run over. They went right under the tire. How did they survive?_ Hiwatari-kun, you're glasses are a little scratched.  
**Satoshi:** That's fine. Just give them to me so my massive headache will go away. -the moment the glasses touch Satoshi's hand, the scratches disappear- Alright, shall we go?  
**Daisuke:** -a little while down the road- Hiwatari-kun, your glasses are evil demons sent from Hell.  
**Satoshi:** I don't care, so long as I can see out of them. Actually, if my glasses being evil means I'm able to see out of them, I wish my eyes were possessed, too.  
**Daisuke:** Yeah, but then my grandpa would find out and have to exorcise them. -laughs-  
**Satoshi: **I guess I won't be meeting your grandfather, then.

Chapter Eight: Scene One:  
**Daisuke: Di big b-raun fucks jamped oba za raeji dag.  
Satoshi: **-blinks- I'm sorry, repeat that.  
**Daisuke: ****Di big b-raun fucks jamped oba za laeji dag.  
Satoshi:** Ok, let's try this again when your pronunciation has improved.  
**Daisuke:** What did I do wrong?  
**Satoshi:** Nothing, Niwa, just don't go talking about foxes to Hikari-senpai or Saga, ok?

Still Chapter Eight: Scene Two:  
**Dark: **-punches Satoshi in the gut, who falls over unconscious-  
**Krad:** ... I think you killed him.  
**Dark:** My mom will kill me if I did.  
**Krad:** Hiwatari-kun will kill you if he ever wakes up.  
**Dark: **I think I'd rather have my mom do it. At least I know she'll be humane.

Even More Chapter Eight: Scene Seven:  
**Satoshi:** -balancing on the wall- What's it like? Living with your real... -falls off-  
**Riku:** God dammit! That's the ninth take in a row! Can't you just stay on the wall?!  
**Satoshi:** It would be a lot easier if Dark wasn't hiding back here pulling me down by the leg.  
**Dark:** -pops up and waves, only to be pummeled by Riku-


	11. Week Two, Sunday: Nightmare Interlude

A/N: This is a special chapter that is basically whatever you take from it. I hope you find it at least mildly entertaining.

* * *

_BOOM!_The ground shook with each step he took. _BOOM!_ Looking at all the little people running around, he couldn't help remembering he was just like them at one point. _BOOM!_ But not any more. He wasn't small like everyone else any more.

No, but it was all his own fault. Maybe it was his insatiable appetite, maybe it was the things he chose to fill his stomach with, maybe he had skipped training one too many times. But now, the worst had come, and he didn't know what he would do with himself. "Krad!" His voice sounded deep and low, and the surrounding trees bent in the force.

Krad was blown away.

Put off, he found another familiar face. "Dai-chan!" Daisuke turned, screamed a terrible scream, and fainted.

"Dark!" He turned with shining eyes to whoever it was that had chosen to associate with him now, and found Saga, armed with a camera, and suddenly didn't feel as good about it. Snap, snap! The flashes were blinding. "You'll be perfect for my dad's new magazine!" Snap, snap! The title of the magazine flashed before his eyes as the camera took picture after picture. Snap, snap! _Sexy Quadruple X._

Dark dropped to his oversized knees and screamed and screamed and screamed.

* * *

He'd been wandering around school for an hour now, but everything was the same. It must have been a new school, because he didn't recognize them, and no one recognized him. He stopped someone to say hi, but he just kept walking.

He found himself sitting at a desk, surrounded by people, all of them chattering on break in their own groups, and he got up to join one of them. He waved cheerfully and approached a group, "Hi guys." They took one disdainful look at him and dispersed, separating to different groups.

"That kid sure is weird."

He could hear the voices, but couldn't tell who it was coming from.

"Yeah, what does he think he's doing?"

The eyes were slowly turning toward him, and he turned to see them all.

"Doesn't he get it by now?"

They were turning and he was turning and everything was just spinning way out of control.

"Stupid Niwa, I can't stand him."

* * *

Books. He was surrounded by books. Towers and towers of books, stacked next to each other until they formed a labyrinth. Even the floor beneath him was made of books. Curiously, he picked up one and found it to be his sixth grade English text. Another was a book he'd read in the first grade. Another turned out to be a folder of all the graded papers from his 10th grade math class.

No matter how many books he opened, he knew them all. So, sick of them, he began walking until he came to a fork. The halls looked identical, so he took the one on the right and continued walking. He came to another intersection and chose the left. At the next, he went right again, and at the next, he went straight.

He walked for hours and hours, seeing thousands of books and never reaching any end to the maze. He began to wonder just how many books he had read and how long he would be walking. He stopped and picked up a book from the ground again. He found it was the same English book from before.

Startled, he dropped the book to the ground and it returned to its original spot. Right next to his algebra papers and first grade book.

Feeling suddenly claustrophobic, he looked up and judged the wall to be a fairly short height. Maybe if he reached the top, he could find a solution to the maze. Desperately, he grasped a jutting book, found a foothold, and began to climb. A voice sounded from everywhere, laughing. It laughed and laughed, and all at once he knew whose voice it was. With renewed fervor, he ascended the wall of books, hoping his father wasn't going to be up at the top of the labyrinth.

"Now, now, Satoshi, that's cheating." He froze, looking up and seeing his father's face taking up the expanse of the sky. He began to hyperventilate. "We don't cheat, do we Satoshi."

He reached up to climb out of the damned maze, but the book he grasped slipped out from the pile, taking the others with it, and Satoshi fell down, down, down with all the books, and all the while, his father laughed.

* * *

It was all over her. It smelled, it felt weird, and she simply didn't like it. Her head felt heavier than usual, and she could feel her thighs touching. That was the weirdest part because her thighs simply did not touch.

She felt like a frickin' _girl_.

"Hey, Risa-ppi, how's it going?"

She opened her mouth to inform the blond-headed bimbo that she was _not_ Risa, but the words that left her mouth betrayed her, as did her own smiling face. "Pretty good. How about you, Michiko-chin?" The girl smiled and replied, but Riku didn't notice as horror washed over her. Why wouldn't her body obey? Why did she feel so weird? And _why_ was her own body staring at her from across the courtyard?

* * *

It was all over her. It smelled, it felt weird, and she simply didn't like it. Her head felt lighter than usual, and she couldn't feel her thighs touching. That was the weirdest part because she didn't remember owning a pair of shorts.

And just why wasn't she wearing any make-up?

"'Sup, Riku-chan?"

She opened her mouth to tell off that stupid, irritating boy that she wasn't anything like her sister, but not even her hands would move to her hips. "Nothin' much. You?" The guy went on, dribbling the soccer ball as he continued the conversation absently, but Risa didn't pay him any mind. Why was her voice so low? Why did she smell like sweat? And _why_ was her own body staring at her from across the courtyard?

* * *

They were speaking. That's all he knew, that they were speaking. They spoke quickly, trying to tell him something in desperate tones, but he just couldn't understand. He wanted to, and every so often, a word would penetrate the language barrier, but only ones that made him worry more.

They stared at him with piercing eyes, like he was supposed to do something, and closed in on him.

He didn't understand what they were saying and just wished they would slow down and stop speaking all at once.

_Hiwatari… accident… Niwa and Mousey… fire… ambulance… three weeks… dead._

Krad covered his ears and screamed.

* * *

The jungle of candy was melting and the fire-kittens had all gone away. The water was as sweet as honey and he could have sworn that cigarette had run past him three times already. He took a piece of his hair and ate it, and as the god of this world, called it good.

His hair grew out from a tree and all manner of birds came to feast on it.

There was a Krad-bird perched on his shoulder that ate directly from his scalp and the bird became immortal, then flew away to become a sock.

Oh, how he loved socks.

He called it over and it rested in his palm. What a nice, obedient sock. He peered inside and out came a rainbow. Calling over his Funabashi-horse, he rode to the end of the rainbow and was attacked. It held him down and he couldn't move until it was all over. There was something around his waist. It felt cold and heavy and it filled him with dread.

He looked down and his world became as dark and cold and cold as the locked chastity belt secured tightly over his precious man-parts.

Keiji summoned all his power, but nothing he could do would remove it.

* * *

A/N: Well, that'll be it for now. See you next installment! 


	12. Week Two, Sunday: Hanging Out

A/N: Here we go. Got my laptop back and I finished this up just now. I hope you like it. I know I do. Here, I introduce a bit about the town itself. If you visit my homepage, there is a (very terrible) map there. Check it out. Who knows? Sometimes I post some Easter Eggs that might prove interesting.

* * *

Krad snapped his phone shut as he pulled it away from his ear. As he had expected, no one had answered. This meant either no one was home or no one was awake to answer. Michiko's Laundromat came into view. **"Turn right at the next street."**

"**Yes, sir." **He hated that all the streets around here had no names and had to rely on landmarks to find his way around. Actually, it was the driver that had to find his way around, and by the way he reacted, Krad knew that he at least knew where the neighborhood was and put up with Krad's giving directions because he was trying to be helpful. In America, houses were all numbered according to street with odds on one side and evens on another, but a zip code was the smallest you got and you'd have to get directions beforehand. However in Japan, cities were cut into districts, then areas, then neighborhoods, and then there was some numbering system that he still hadn't figured out from there, but it got you within a few blocks.

He didn't know which system he liked better, actually.

They'd been in Shingawa for a while, ever since crossing under the tracks, but it was real obvious when the shapes of the blocks started to change. Aizu mostly had square blocks, straight streets, and–well–areas that made sense. Shingawa was just full of odd shapes, and even odder placing. What kind of city planner put a bunch of houses right in the middle of a shopping area? And none of the blocks seemed to be completely square. How anyone was supposed to navigate the area was beyond him. Shingawa, which literally meant New Side, was a newer part of town than Aizu was, so that meant someone thought nonsensical shapes made better city blocks than mostly uniform squares.

They crossed the bridge and Krad knew they were getting close. All along the river were rows of apartments, all facing away from the embankment. Several of the balconies had laundry hanging out to dry on the lines, the colorful fabric flapping in the warm breeze, and although the buildings themselves were starting to show their age, the brightness of the various shirts, pants, and dresses distracted the eye from the dull brick and chipping paint.

Then suddenly as they left the apartments, there was a small area of well-kept houses. It was an obvious difference from the sixth neighborhood to the seventh. **"We're looking for 7-2-5, Higashino-san."**

"**Yes, sir."**

* * *

"Dai-chan!" He rolled over. "Dai-chan!" He pulled the blanket over his head with a groan. "Dai-chan!" He tried to ignore the furtive whispers. "Dammit, Dai-chan, get up!" His blankets were gone and the harsh sunlight invaded his extra sleep time.

"What?" he whined, finally sitting up, hearing a lot of shifting as he blinked and rubbed his eyes.

"Choose a shirt and get dressed." Dark was rummaging through the closet almost frantically, pausing only to chuck a pair of jeans and some tennis shoes at his younger brother. "I think these should fit you ok."

Too tired to object, he left the comfort of the bed and swapped yesterday's pants for the borrowed jeans. They were a little loose and long. "You got a belt?" He narrowly missed having one hit his face and he slipped it on. Sluggishly, he made his way over to the closet as Dark hopped around getting his last sneaker on. "Why do we have to be up so early?"

"Because if we don't, Mom's going to put the both of us through morning training."

Daisuke gave Dark a flat look after slipping his shirt mostly off and pausing with it still on his arms. "You mean like the way I almost died yesterday?"

"Yes, that."

"Yeah." Daisuke agreed, it would be much better to leave soon. He eyed one particular shirt and made a face. "Why are all your shirts like death and dark colors and stuff?"

"Because that's what I wear." Daisuke shrugged and chose a slate-gray T-shirt with a skull on the front, pulling it on as quickly as he could make his body move. "Hurry up, Daisuke!"

"I'm hurrying, I'm hurrying." He pulled the shoes on, pleased that they weren't too big. "But how are we going to get past Mom?"

Dark slid the window open, reading Daisuke's expression easily. "I'll go first so that I can catch you if you fall."

Daisuke shook his head, still nervous. "If I die, Mom'll kill you."

Dark flinched. "I know."

* * *

By the time Satoshi was aware of anything, he was sitting up. It was not normal for him to sit up before knowing he could sit up, but he was most definitely upright. He wondered if he had been trying to do something, then forgot what it was before his mind started to wake up. He cracked open is eyes and noticed something rather odd. There was yellow in his room. He didn't remember getting anything yellow.

Krad saw the change in Satoshi's behavior immediately. When he hadn't woken up immediately, Krad had sat him up. He'd been watching him blink and loll his head about for nearly a half hour before he seemed to finally make the transition from sleep to wakefulness. "Hiwatari-kun, you awake now?"

"Who?" Satoshi reached for his glasses on the nightstand and closed his eyes to don them, opening them to see a less blurry image of the world. "Hikari-senpai? **How'd you get in here?"**

"**Your front door was unlocked."**

Satoshi frowned but didn't say anything about it. **"To what do I owe this intrusion?"**

"**You looked like you could use a day of goofing off last night," **Krad shrugged. Satoshi gave him a doubting look. **"And I don't really want to hang out with Dark again today."**

"**I thought so. Is there anything I can do to make you change your mind?" **Krad didn't answer. **"I didn't think so."**

* * *

Daisuke was never so happy to be off a bike before. It wasn't that he didn't like bicycles, actually they often made his life easier. It was just that he wasn't used to riding on the back of one, especially not the ones made for public use. A few years ago, the city had decided that there would be a fleet of bikes that anyone could use at any time so long as no one was currently riding it, and that these would be painted a very bright yellow. Dark had spotted the yellow vehicle leaning against a building and immediately decided that they would use it.

Obviously, the thing was not made for two people, so there was a lot of trial and error before they had worked out that Dark would rest his weight on the front of the seat and pedal, and that Daisuke would sit backwards on the bag area, hanging on to the metalwork for balance. Then, it turned out that Dark was a very fast rider, and it made Daisuke slightly queasy to see the city speed by him backwards. Right when he was just starting to really get used to both the speed and the annoyed cries of the pedestrians they passed, Dark slowed to a stop.

Daisuke brought his legs down from the bag-holder and waited for his blood to flow again while he got a good look around. When he realized where he was, he jumped to his feet. "Chû-Ô Station?" Dark smiled at his shock. "Just where are we going?"

"We're not going on the train." Dark leaned the bike against a wall. It took Daisuke a minute to realize what Dark meant.

"The subway?" Dark nodded and Daisuke made a confused face. "Where would we be going on the subway?"

"You see, Dai-chan." Dark clapped his hand down across Daisuke's shoulders and began to walk. "I know you're just a little kid and all, but you need to learn the skills you'll need to survive adulthood." Daisuke rolled his eyes, but dealt with it. He'd have to get used to having Dark as an older brother eventually.

"Now, as you become a man, you'll notice that there are these beings called females. You'll start seeing them wherever you go, and you will want to mate with them." Daisuke turned a bright red as he let the machine read his rail card. "However, in order to do this, you must first be able to make them want you, and you, Daisuke, are not currently a man a female would want."

"And you are?" His blush hadn't faded, but he refrained from flipping out as the subway doors closed behind him.

"Damn straight." Daisuke slapped himself in the forehead. "Now, there are many ways to catch a female's attention. You can initiate physical contact or hit on them, but this will often have an adverse reaction. What I recommend is a ritual known to the population as flirting."

"Flirting," Daisuke reiterated flatly.

"Yes, Dai-chan, flirting. Now, the dictionary defines flirting as to behave amorously without serious intent. This means you have to show an interest in her in a light manner. If she responds likewise, then you can continue to flirt together, but if she doesn't respond, you can keep trying until you elicit a good reaction. All girls will respond to some kind of flirting, you just need to figure out what she likes." Daisuke shook his head. This was going to be a long trip.

* * *

Satoshi stared at his reflection in the mirror. These were not his clothes. Apparently, Krad had figured that Satoshi didn't have very many comfortable clothes, and had brought a few of his own. He was right, but Satoshi still felt that he had a reason to be offended. Satoshi had insisted that he would wear his own clothing, but Krad had also been very stubborn, and it ended up that Satoshi borrowed one of Krad's shirts for the day.

It, just like his room, was mostly white. It had the name of a band Satoshi didn't recognize on it, scrawled in rather distorted black letters that Satoshi found to be ugly and illegible. But the worst part was that it was huge on him. **"I look ridiculous."**

"**If you'd just put on a few pounds, it wouldn't look so big on you," **Krad commented off-handedly, and Satoshi shot him a look. **"Do you eat at all?"**

"**I eat."** He returned to glaring at the mirror. First the teacher, then Niwa, and now Krad. He wished everyone would get off his back. He'd always been small, he'd always be small, and there was nothing he could do about it, so there.

Krad raised an eyebrow. **"What, a slice of bread a day?" **Satoshi, done with being made fun of for his weight, shoved Krad around so he was facing the other way, whipped off the shirt, and stalked off to find one Krad would approve of in his closet. **"I was only kidding, Hiwatari-kun," **Krad called over his shoulder, a little annoyed at Satoshi's obsession with him having to be facing the other way as he changed.

"**I don't care. I look like I'm wearing some giant's hand-me-downs in that, and I will not go around making a fool of myself." **He could hear Satoshi rummaging around, pause, then move about again before calling him back around with an exasperated tone: **"How's this?"**

Krad shook his head, ok with the plain, black, long-sleeved shirt, still not sure about the slacks. **"We're going to have to get you some comfortable clothes."**

"**The clothes I have now are fine." **Satoshi made to leave the room, and Krad picked up on the cue. **"And I have to be back before my father gets home."**

"**Why don't you just call him?"**

"**Because he'd say no, and you won't leave me alone unless I go," **Satoshi picked up his key from the side table by the door and used it to lock the front door behind him. **"So can we just get this over with?"**

Krad had the mind to say that hanging-out was not something one got over with, but held his tongue.

* * *

Daisuke endured Dark for the duration of the subway ride. They actually got off at the next stop and Daisuke, who had never been that way before, got a bit of a surprise. Just outside of the station and still underground, was shopping center, almost like a disjointed mall, but not necessarily geared toward the younger generation. Some stores were new clothing stores lingered with grocery markets and the basement of a department store. Daisuke knew it was an underground shopping center, but he hadn't known there was one in town.

Instead of going straight toward a group of females, Dark surprised Daisuke by passing them and a number of quality stores by, going straight to–Daisuke scoffed–a music shop. Dark seemed to spot someone he knew right away. "Kuan!"

A rather spaced out man looked up from shelving some records. His rainbow-colored beanie was dull and faded with age, and partially covered his shoulder-length, dark-green dreadlocks. His face was clean, though littered with piercings, and tapered off to a dreadlocked goatee. Daisuke had thought all the hippies had died out decades ago. "Ryô! 's been a while buddy. How've ya been?"

"Pretty good. Hey, my brother here, Tetsuya, he's going to learn to play the drums." Daisuke looked back and forth between them. Ryô? Tetsuya?

Kuan knelt in front of Daisuke. "Tetsuya-kun, huh? He's a bit small for drums, ain't he?" When Dark didn't respond, Kuan lifted one of Daisuke's arms, then dropped it, studying the movement. "Thought you were an only child, Ryô."

"A lotta stuff happened since I've been here." Dark shrugged, browsing through the records. "Any recommendations?"

"You've got all the good stuff already," Kuan tsked. Dark frowned and moved over to inspecting a row of guitars. "Music isn't what it used to be anymore. Can you believe the shit some people listen to?"

"Yeah, it's all manufactured pop and idols now, isn't it? Got any imports?"

"Not this month." Kuan's attention returned to Daisuke. "Roll up those sleeves and flex for me, Tetsuya-kun." Daisuke frowned, but did as he was told. Kuan hummed. "He needs to bulk up if you want him to be any good." Dark nodded, not even glancing over as he took an interest in a specific guitar, and Daisuke felt a little offended. "What makes you think this kid'll be any good for drums?"

"Can I play this for a sec?" Kuan nodded and Dark pulled it off the wall, plucking at it briefly and messing with the knobs before being satisfied. It wasn't until Dark turned on the amp that Daisuke realized that it was a guitar, but not the kind he had been anticipating, but rather a bass. As the initial surprise that Dark could really play an instrument and wasn't bluffing wore off, Daisuke leaned against a display and listened. It was a strange melody, abrupt in some places and flowing in others, but always very lively.

Kuan took a glance back at Daisuke and chuckled. "You win, Ryô. I'll see if I can get someone to teach him."

"Thanks man, I'll pay you back. Let's go, Tetsuya."

Daisuke waited until they were out of the store before he spoke up. "Ryô and Tetsuya, huh?"

"Yeah." Dark put a hand to his chin, trying to come up with a good way to word what he was trying to say. "Kuan's a good guy and all, but let's just say it's not a good idea to use your real name in there."

"Ok," Daisuke decided he didn't want to know the reason. "Why'd he decide I could learn the drums?"

Dark decided it was good and proper at that moment in time to burst out laughing. "You didn't notice?" Daisuke's look told him that, no, he did not notice and that he wanted an explanation. "You were tapping almost the entire time. Did pretty good at it, too."

Daisuke ignored the fact that he wasn't entirely aware of what his hands were doing at the time. "So that's what you play? The bass?"

"Dai-chan, I told you. I can play almost anything." This time, Daisuke believed him.

* * *

Satoshi sipped at his rather thick, fruity juice. He didn't know what flavor it was precisely (Krad had ordered for him), but it wasn't half bad. Except when the pulpy bits got stuck in the straw and he had to either suck them out, or blow them back into the drink so he could suck it up again, but maybe from a different angle. They hadn't done much for the hour or so they'd been in the small shopping area. Krad had more or less lead Satoshi to store after store, and Satoshi had blatantly refused to try on anything, much less let Krad buy him anything.

Krad had been sly enough to disappear for a minute or so and return with the drink, and Satoshi wasn't rude enough to throw it away. He was a little thirsty, anyway.

He took another sip and another bit of pulp got lodged in the straw.

Krad happened to be looking at him at that very moment and got to catch the slight look of surprise on Satoshi's face when nothing more came from the straw, the annoyed look when he realized why the fruity goodness was not making it to his mouth, and the odd face he made as he sucked harder to try to loose the piece before he gave up altogether, and with a peeved expression, blew the obstacle back in with the rest of his drink.

"**You know, if you take the straw out of the cup and suck on the other end, you won't have to deal with it getting stuck in the straw again."**

Satoshi seemed to consider it for half a second, before returning to staring blankly ahead of him. **"I knew that." **About a minute later, when the pulp got stuck in the straw again, and when he was certain Krad wasn't watching, he tested his advice and found it to be true. Satisfied that Krad wasn't a liar, Satoshi was content to simply hold the drink for a while, instead of walking with the straw perpetually in his mouth. **"Do you have any sort of plan, or are we just going to meander about all afternoon?"**

Krad shrugged. **"Once we find something to do, we'll do it."**

"**In other words, you have no idea what to do." **Satoshi took another sip of his drink.

"**You don't, either." **Krad spoke on the defensive.

"**No, but I'm not the one who chose to be out here. I would have been perfectly fine with staying home again today."**

"**And do what?" **Krad bordered incredulous as he took a glance at the surrounding shops.

"**I dunno." **Satoshi shrugged, losing interest in the argument. **"Probably study."**

"**There's more to life than school, Hiwatari-kun." **Krad shook his head, deciding on a store. **"Wait here a second." **Satoshi was about to ask why, but Krad had disappeared in the crowd.

* * *

Daisuke watched the battle rage on. They'd been at it for a while, but he didn't think they could keep it up much longer. The longer they lasted, the harder it got, and soon one of them would be beaten. He was just happy that he had been so close when the crowd had gathered, or else he wouldn't be able to see.

The song ended, and again it was a tie. Both competing boys let out a sound of frustration, and Dark glared over at Saga, who just looked like he had one too many Prozac pills this morning, and in unison they declared: "One more round!" Daisuke shook his head. It had been just 'one more round' for the past hour.

Saga had energy and insanity; Dark had training and musical sense. They seemed to be equals in Daisuke's eyes. He didn't understand why they couldn't just move on to another game already. There were plenty in the arcade. He blamed Saga, who had bounded up from no where and tackled Dark while he was apparently 'laying down the charm.' He had the feeling that Saga was purposely tying every time to make Dark angry.

Still, Daisuke didn't understand why it had to be DDR.

The sound of someone punching the machine. "God dammit!"

Insane laughter. "We're still equal, Dark!"

"One more round!"

* * *

Satoshi dipped his brush back in the paint. Studying the color a moment before returning his gaze to the world set before him, then back to the canvas. He had to admit, this wasn't half-bad. It was rather relaxing, actually. It hadn't even taken long to find a building with a sight-seeing deck. For the longest time, his entire world was narrowed down to the scene beyond the edge of the building, his canvas, and the selection of paints Krad had picked up at the store.

"**You seem to be really into it, Hiwatari-kun," **Satoshi started when he heard Krad's voice coming from right behind him. He returned to renewing the color on his brush.

"**If I don't focus, it probably won't turn out very well." **Krad left it at that, watching Satoshi paint to city in silence. **"Why aren't you painting, Hikari-senpai?"**

"**I don't feel like it,"** Krad shrugged. **"Besides, I like watching people paint."**

"**I see," **Satoshi added a little yellow to his mix, able to see the slight difference in shade between the building he just finished and the next. **"Last night," **Krad perked up, but Satoshi's attention never wavered from his art, **"My father called you the Hikari Heir." **Even though the lines and angles of the city were rough, something about the view remained soft and Satoshi worked hard to preserve the mood.

"**Yes, he did."**

"**What are you heir to?" **Nothing existed besides the two of them and the roof. It didn't even strike him as odd that no one else entered the viewpoint.

Krad regarded Satoshi and the painting as one, wondering why the way Satoshi saw the city and the way he did were so different. **"For the last twelve generations, my family has held the same occupation. I guess you could call it a legacy." **Satoshi's hand holding the brush paused in the air, his eyes finally diverting to Krad. **"All of them have been artists of some kind, and I'm probably going to be the last."**

Satoshi set the brush down and turned in the stool. **"Why?"**

"**I don't have any talent,"** he admitted, gazing out to the exact spot Satoshi was painting. **"Looking at something, and bringing out all of its best points–I've never been able to do that. I'm the heir, but I'm never going to be the successor."**

"**I'm sorry,"** Satoshi turned back to the painting. **"I shouldn't have asked."**

"**No, it's fine."** Krad returned to watching Satoshi work, wondering why he could be so good at something Krad felt he could never do. **"I already know what I'll be doing, anyway." **Krad didn't elaborate and Satoshi felt he had pried enough for one afternoon.

* * *

It was times like these that Daisuke wondered just why everyone was so obsessed with having the best things. Everything had to be the newest model, the most advanced technology, and the most elegant design. There was beauty in the flaws of things, and some of the most fun to be had was free.

Or at least, he thought so at the moment. He had his jeans rolled up to his knees as he dangled his legs in the river from the raised embankment. It didn't surprise him that the river was low. It hadn't rained in a while, and it seemed no one upstream was getting any, either. He wondered somewhere in the back of his mind if they were in a drought, but he couldn't recall hearing either way.

He watched through his upside-down world as Saga pitched a rock, and Dark swung with the stick he had found and the rock sailed out to the opposite bank. He felt so relaxed as he laid back in the grass that he wondered why he had never thought to do so before. Even though Saga was crazy, the three of them were really having a good time.

They had gotten kicked out of the arcade after hogging the DDR machine for two hours straight, and it had been Saga that suggested they go to the river, so they had taken the subway to the Chuu-Ou Line, then that up just barely past the river to Aizu Station, then walked back down, following the river along until they found an good spot just inside Shingawa 1-_choume_. Once there, they simply goofed off, and Daisuke had to admit, it felt pretty good.

"Hey, Dai-chan." There was a sharp _thwack_ as the rock rebounded off the stick, and Daisuke's eyes didn't bother to follow the path.

"Yeah?" He watched Saga pick up a rock and give it an experimental toss in the air.

"What do you want to _be_–" _thwack_ "–when you grow up?" Daisuke turned over so he was on his stomach, not caring as the river water ran down his legs and wet the cuffs of the borrowed jeans.

"Dunno." _Thwack_. "Probably just gonna end up a salary-man."

Dark smirked and swung. "Better not tell Mom that one."

"Why not?" It was a lazy question, but the curiosity was there.

"Because," Dark tossed the stick aside and Saga entertained himself by skipping the stone he had picked up. Dark joined him with a rock of his own. Neither of them made it more than two hops. "It's just not very interesting."

Daisuke nodded and, too lazy to get up himself and join them, watched the two of them skip stones with no skill at all for a long time. He never looked up to the bridge to see Riku Harada pass them by.

* * *

"**It's fine?"**

"**Yes." **Satoshi knew Krad's invitation to dinner for what it was.

"**Really?" **It wasn't really that he didn't want to go.

"**Yes." **It's just that he wasn't hungry at all.

"**You're _really_ going to be ok?" **Besides, his father would absolutely murder him.

Satoshi gave him a flat look. **"I won't be ok if my father comes back and you are still here."**

"**Of course you will be," **Krad said in a matter-of-fact tone. **"You were helping me study, and I wanted to pay you back."**

At this Satoshi shook his head. **"I can't lie to my father, Hikari-senpai."**

Krad seemed to give up and Satoshi was grateful. A little more pushing and he probably would have given in. **"Seriously, you're gonna be ok, right? Your dad's not going to find out and unleash on you, is he?"**

"**I'll be fine." **Satoshi took half a step back and began to shut the door, afraid that it was the only way he could finish the conversation. As Satoshi raised his arm to grab the wood, his sleeve slipped down his wrist a little and the small movement caught Krad's eye. **"I'll see you in the morning, Hikari-senpai."**

"**Yeah," **Krad said, trying not to stare as he attempted to figure out if it was just a shadow he was seeing or not. **"See you, Hiwatari-kun." **The door shut and Krad was still not sure what it was he saw.

* * *

Daisuke came home to a notice on the door and boxes. Dozens upon dozens of cardboard boxes that were usually sitting in the closet, just laying about the front room, set up and sealed off. Some were labeled: Fragile, Kitchen, Grandpa's, Bathroom. The furniture was all covered with sheets.

Daisuke took an anxious step into the house, not even sure if it was really his house or not anymore. Until he saw a box scrawled on in large, permanent marker: Daisuke's. His breath came in shaky gasps as he regarded the box–_his_ box–and it took a few tries to restart his vocal chords. What was supposed to be a clam call became a frantic, wavering shout as his voice broke from a mix of emotion and puberty. "Dad!" He sprinted to the kitchen to find only stacks of papers filled with red ink stacked on the table and turned. "DAD!"

"Oh, Daisuke," Kosuke came down the stairs nervously. His appearance was even more ragged than usual. "I didn't hear you come in."

Kosuke's forced calm did nothing to sooth Daisuke. "Dad, what is this? What's going on?" Kosuke had a job. Daisuke knew he did. Maybe they were moving to a better house.

"Daisuke, do you think you could stay at a friend's for a while?" Kosuke was smiling again and Daisuke began to hate that smile. "Just until we get this all sorted out."

There was so much Daisuke wanted to ask–wanted to _say_–but with all his emotions fighting to come to the front, he found none of it actually escaped him. "Yeah." He picked up the phone, feeling drained, but no tone came. The line had been shut off. Masking his surprise, he carried on a pretend conversation, since Kosuke didn't seem to know about the phone just yet, then hung up on himself and stuffed a duffle bag with all his favorite clothes. He spent a couple minutes looking for his backpack before remembering he left it at his Mother's.

He sucked in a quick breath. Already, he had changed it from Mousey's house to his Mother's. Somehow, the transition had surprised him, even though he knew it shouldn't.

As for the backpack, it gave him an excuse to spend another night over there.

* * *

"Riku?" Risa called from the couch as she heard the front door open and shut, cell-phone dangling off one hand and a potato chip in the other. "Where were you all day?"

"Just out with friends," Riku lied without trying, not even pausing in trading out her shoes.

"Well," Risa pursed her lips and returned to facing forward, "Just remember that you need to take a break once in a while, otherwise you'll work yourself to death."

Riku scowled just a little. She could hang-out just as well as Risa could, and she hadn't been training. No matter what everyone thought, she wasn't _just_ an athlete.

* * *

"Oh, Daisuke-Honey," Emiko was smiling and Daisuke smiled back, not caring that he was doing the exact same thing his father had done. "What brings you here so late?"

_I think we just got evicted_. Those were the words he wanted to say. "I forgot my backpack," Daisuke explained, taking her backing off as an invitation in. "Would it be ok if I stayed over, since I'm already here?"

"Of course, Sweetie." She giggled and it cheered him up a little. "I think I might just have to get you two a bunk-bed."

"Yeah," he laughed back and started upstairs. "Night, Mom."

"Good night, Sweetie. I love you."

That made Daisuke stop half-way up. It took a second, but he smiled a real smile. Emiko loved him. "I love you, too."

* * *

A/N: A lot happened in this chapter, maybe too much, but the next couple of chapters should calm down a bit, so all my poor characters will get a break. So, in summary, but not in the right order: Daisuke got evicted, Dark really _can_ play any instrument, Satoshi looks too small in Krad's shirts, Daisuke is too small for drums in Kuan's opinion, Krad's family is famous, and Daisuke is loved! What do you think? Drop me a review!

By the by, Kuan can be alternatively be written Quan, but I liked the first spelling better.


	13. Week Three, Monday: Getting Out

A/N: Um... Hello! How is everyone doing? Oh, wow. It's been a long time, hasn't it? -nervous laugh- Um, the school year is finishing up. Tuesday will be my last college class. I'll still have work and high school, but my schedule will be freed up, hopefully leaving room for me to produce more chapters.

If it makes you feel better, I haven't been neglecting just my stories, but reading other people's stories, responding to reviews, online friends, and even some real-life friends to make sure everything is pulled together. It's just been very busy for me.

That, and I need to come up with US2000 in 2 months, or my semester abroad probably won't happen.

That said, I'm not sure if this chapter is anything special. I'm just looking at giving the story a bit of down-time before I launch into the really exciting thing that'll change the whole direction of this. Hopefully, I'll feel comfortable posting it 2 chapters from now, but maybe that might be too soon. This chapter isn't extraordinary, but there is something exciting that happens. This is my first real shot at suspense. Please tell me how I do.

By the by, I'm sorry for the overall shortness and weird transitions of this chapter. I just wanted to get it out to you guys quickly. Don't kill me?

Well, this note is long enough. Enjoy the chapter!

* * *

Satoshi found that he could tell when something was up with certain people. It was sometimes just so painfully obvious when some people were having an off day, or when there was something going on in that person's life. He was sure he wasn't the only person who could tell.

But Satoshi didn't think Niwa could possibly hide his feelings from anyone, as he stood awkwardly in the doorway, an hour late for tutoring, shuffling from one foot to another as he started and stopped his sentences. As amusing as it was, watching him stutter around like that, classes would have to start soon, and if Niwa wanted any chance at passing the test that afternoon, they'd have to get started.

Besides, trying to understand all that garble was giving him a headache.

"Niwa, stop babbling and sit down." Daisuke didn't budge. "I apologize for missing the lesson on Saturday, and I intend to make up for it this morning, now have a seat."

Daisuke's hand once again reached around to scratch the back of his head. "You see, that's what I want to–"

"Dai-chan!" An odd sound came from the redhead's throat as his neck got caught in the crook of an arm. Dark held his captured brother in a chokehold as he continued to take deep breaths. "You left before Mom could give you this." He muttered something that sounded like it would have been "made me run the whole way here", but Daisuke found Dark didn't seem all that winded. Before he had a chance to ponder it further, an envelope smothered in girly handwriting was pressed into his hands.

Daisuke studied it a moment, before holding it between two fingers. "What is it?"

Dark moodily ran a hand through his hair. "It's drugs." Satoshi raised an eyebrow. It seemed even Dark could use sarcasm, even though it didn't seem Daisuke identified it as such, by the strange look he had on his face. "What do you think it is? It's your allowance, Dai-chan. Sheesh."

Even as his hair was ruffled and Dark began to sulk away, Daisuke stared at the envelope in awe. He glanced around quickly to make sure there weren't any other students around, before stopping him. "Dark, is Mom gonna do this every week?"

"No, because you're going to pick up your own damn allowance from now on." Dark glowerd just a little. "I am not a delivery boy."

Daisuke felt a little offended, before remembering all the training Dark had gone through the night before, and the fact that Emiko had strongly encouraged Dark to give up his bed for the night. Of course he'd be moody. He didn't even get that much sleep. "Thanks." Dark trudged off successfully this time and Daisuke returned his attention to Satoshi. "Um, I'm sorry about that." He leafed through the envelope and Satoshi raised an eyebrow. "Um, I forgot to pay you last Monday, but I–uh–I promise to make up for it later."

Satoshi stared at the hand offering him the money for a second, digging through anything and everything that could've made Niwa think he owed him cash. It was obviously the reason why he was so nervous a few minutes ago. Then it hit him suddenly.

Duh.

"It's alright, Niwa. I was only joking in the first place. I didn't think you'd take me seriously." Satoshi gauged Daisuke's reaction and determined that the boy did not catch the lie. Thinking back on it, he felt pretty bad for striking such a deal in the first place. "Now, what is the English word for _hashiru_?"

Daisuke thought about it for a moment. "**Run**?"

Satoshi nodded. "How about _aruku_?"

"**Walk**."

* * *

Krad slipped into his seat next to Satoshi while most of the other students were still milling about. After a minute he placed his cheek in his hand and addressed the bookworm. "**Hiwatari-kun**." Satoshi pulled his nose out of his copy of _Lord of the Flies_. "**Your dad didn't find out, right?**"

Krad watched as Satoshi's expression changed, seemingly thinking over his reply from more than one possible standpoint. It made Krad wonder exactly what there was to think about so hard about the simple question. "**No. He didn't catch me.**" Satoshi returned to the book, and Krad stretched, trying to feel the relief he knew was supposed to come from the positive response.

But that emotion simply wouldn't come. "**Good. I'd've felt bad if he did.**"

Krad didn't see Satoshi glance up at him.

"Hiwatari-kun?" Both boy's eyes were drawn to the front of the classroom. "Could you come to the front for a moment?" Satoshi wordlessly went to the front of the room, where the teacher stood at the front. "Do you think you could join your regular class for Gym from now on? You see, the Seniors need to make some preparations for graduation."

"It's no problem, Sensei," Satoshi reassured her, "I understand." He slid back into his seat, just so he could gather up all his things and go join his normal classmates.

"**Where are you going?"**

"**The teacher thinks it would be better if I started joining my own class for PE. I'll be back afterwards."**

"**Ok, have fun."**

* * *

Satoshi wandered out onto the field, to find no one there. A little confused, he changed his course to the gym and found them. It was odd, seeing his classmates already starting to stretch. He'd already gotten so used to attending all his classes with the Seniors, that actually being taller than a couple of his peers was a little odd.

Apparently, he wasn't the only one thinking his appearance was odd. First, one person turned to stare, then whispered to a friend, and three more pairs of eyes joined. Soon the entire class was looking back at him. Niwa shuffled awkwardly for half a second, before stepping forward.

"Hey there, Hiwatari-kun." Daisuke grinned and fidgeted, feeling the collective gaze of the entire class on his back. "You–uh… Are you going to be playing with us today?"

Satoshi was secretly grateful for the small diversion in the tension. "Yeah. The Seniors have some planning to do for the end of the year."

"That's cool, that's cool." He switched his weight between his feet as he thought of something else to say. "Um, you can be on my team, if you want."

Satoshi looked at Daisuke as if he had gone crazy. Maybe they all had. "That'd be very nice, Niwa, thank you."

* * *

Krad stared over his book at the redhead across the table. He didn't understand how it ended up like this. Oh he knew _how_ it happened, it was more about _why_ the gods had decided he should be spending time with him, just the two of them that afternoon. It had started when, during lunch, Satoshi had mentioned that he couldn't join the study group that night, then refused to elaborate further. Then it turned out Dark had most definitely not remembered to tell his mother guests were coming that afternoon. The deafening scream and long stream of cursing had confirmed that. Krad was just glad that he made Dark go first each time.

It didn't take long for he and Niwa to decide that they would spend the afternoon at his house (read as: take off running for their lives), instead of possibly getting dragged into training.

It wasn't until they were both out of range of Mom-dar, did it become quite apparent that neither of them had any idea of what they should do, and took up self-study.

"**Well, Niwa, what now?"** Krad asked, not bothering to mask his bored tone of voice.

Niwa tilted his head to the side. "Um, Hikari-senpai, I don't–"

"**I know, but I don't really feel like thinking right now. You can understand that, can't you?"**

Niwa fidgeted, nodding and smiling in a way Krad identified as I can't-understand-a-word-you're-saying-but-I'll-humor-you-anyway. He seemed to be getting nervous.

"**You know,"** Krad closed his book and leaned back in his chair. **"This would be a whole lot more easier if Hiwatari hadn't skipped out on us. Why do you think he did that?"** Niwa nodded. He didn't know what he was nodding about, but he nodded. **"Do you think his dad has something to do with it?"** More nods. **"Do you want me to stop talking to you in English?"** Nod, nod. **"Are you the Emperor of Japan?"** Nod nod. **"Do you want to go eat a bug?"** More nods. Krad smirked. **"I thought so."**

Niwa let out a nervous chuckle, returning his attention to his book.

Krad groaned as he stood from his chair. "Wait here. I'm going to get us something to eat."

* * *

_Haa ha–haa ha–haa ha–_

It was dark and his footsteps echoed across the tile. His leather gloves crinkled at every movement of his hands. His breaths came out long, only for him to take a short breath in. It was all too loud. He'd be heard.

_Haa ha–haa ha–haa ha–_

He willed his lungs to breathe shallower, his mouth to change form so he could breathe quieter.

_Haa ha–haa ha–haa ha–_

It wasn't working and he was still too loud. The sound of drums was close to his ears, drowning out his breathing, walking, and flexing. It was a low, familiar beat he'd heard many times before.

_Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump_

A bead of sweat trickled down his forehead and slid down his nose, tickling it as it left a salty trail for more to follow. His hands flew to his face as he held in the sneeze it caused and froze as his breath hitched and he fought the urge.

_Thump-thump, thump-thump, thump-thump_

If he sneezed, he'd be caught. If he sneezed, it'd be all over.

The drums got louder. The drums got _faster_.

_Thumpthump, thumpthump, thumpthump, thumpthump_

Slowly, the urge died down and he relaxed. After waiting a few moments, he continued down the corridor, his feet still making small sounds that covered his swishing clothes, but still not enough to cover the breathing. In the back of his mind, he wondered when the drums had stopped.

Without thinking, he took the next right. He didn't even know what he was doing here any more, but he knew this way by heart. He had to pass two more hallways, then make a left, and then the next left would be a room. This room was important. He couldn't remember why.

_Haa ha–_

He faced the inside of the room, staring into it and caught a gleam from the center. It was all coming back now, overriding the anxiousness and panic. The vase. He was going to take the vase.

Reaching into his back pocket, Dark pulled out a card:

"_I have taken vase._

_–The Legendary Phantom Thief"_

* * *

Satoshi pulled the light jacket closer to his body as a soft breeze began to blow. Even though it was starting to warm up outside, the nights were still cool, and he began wishing for a better coat. He didn't even know what he was doing out here as he sat on the rail of one of the many bridges that spanned the river, staring down into the water.

At first, he had only been out for a walk around the block to tire himself out and make it easier to fall asleep. Soon, one block turned to two, then three, and he just kept walking. He thought he might just walk on forever until finally, he was crossing the bridge and became unexplainably fixated by the water below. He never paid any special attention to it before–he didn't think anyone really did–but when he thought about it, it really was a fascinating picture of infinity. It just flowed and flowed with no beginning and no end, gallons upon gallons of water just running toward the sea, from several thousand sources that never seemed to run dry.

It flowed and it flowed and it flowed.

He found himself wanting to join it.

* * *

The alarms didn't even go off until he had reached the wooded area, and Dark knew he was home free. He laughed as he slipped the vase into his backpack and fished out his phone. All he had to do was get back home. He smirked as he started a text message. This was just too easy.

* * *

Krad woke up to wood and an uncomfortably warm, flat surface. His mind registered this as a table. Groaning, he pushed himself up and found something else not on par with his usual rising schedule. He was able to identify this as Niwa, also asleep over the table. The third thing was that it was still night.

"Hey, Niwa," he shook Daisuke's shoulder. He groaned and began to rub his face in his arms. "C'mon, wake up. You don't want to sleep like that." Bleary eyes regarded him for a moment. "Trust me." Daisuke made an odd face as he yawned and stretched. Krad took a glance at the clock, making a face of his own. "Why don't you go ahead and call your dad? Tell him you're staying here tonight."

Daisuke was far from objecting.

* * *

Dark nearly jumped to his feet when he heard the rumbling of the rickety old van chugging along the side of the river, but tried to restrain himself. He was the Phantom Thief. He had to remain dignified. The brown van pulled to a stop in front of him and Saga slid the side door open a little more quickly than he had to. The blond seemed frantic, or maybe he was just excited. "Get in, get in, get in!" Dark didn't need to hear the order a second time and as soon as the door closed behind him, Saga gave the order for Funabashi to "get moving."

There was a minute of near-silence as Dark fought down another fit of laughter. "Thanks for picking me up guys. I really didn't want to walk all the way back to Shingawa from there."

Saga nodded dismissively. "Yeah, yeah. Didja get it?" Dark smirked and zipped open his backpack, showing just enough of the golden vase inside. Saga, too, got a case of the giggles. "Dark, you criminal! You're a bad role model to us all!"

"I know!" Dark slapped his knee then rezipped the bag. He had way too much adrenaline to just sit still in the back of a van.

"Well, come on! Details; give me details!"

* * *

"Hiwatari-kun?"

Satoshi was far too at peace to be startled and didn't feel like taking his gaze from the water. "Harada." He didn't know which one it was. He didn't care.

"It's dangerous up there, y'know." That was enough to catch his attention, and he addressed the girl visually, not knowing what to think. She stood there beneath the streetlight, eyebrows furrowed in worry, looking as if she wanted to reach out. He didn't understand. How could something so calming be considered dangerous? "You could fall."

"I won't fall, Harada." Still, he didn't really want to worry her, so he swung his legs back over to the safe side of the rail, sliding off easily. "You're out late."

Risa gave a short chuckle, clasping her hands behind her crisp yellow shirt as the breeze picked up again. She seemed rather fidgety, actually–Satoshi noted–she'd seemed fidgety a lot recently. Maybe it was just that he was noticing it just now. "I'm looking for Riku. She hasn't come home yet."

"Really?" Satoshi didn't doubt her at all, but asking seemed like the more polite thing to say. Risa didn't continue the conversation immediately, so he tried a different direction. "You should probably check the park and the school in case she's still practicing."

Her eyes lit up. "You're right! Thanks, Hiwatari-kun."

She began to jog off in her uncomfortable looking shoes and Satoshi looked after her for a moment. Just a moment. It really was late. "Harada!" She stopped and he took the opportunity to catch up with her, in more leisurely a pace than she had used. "I'll help you look for her." His father was going to have his head whether he came straight home now or not. A few more minutes of making sure they got home alright wouldn't make that much difference.

"Really?" Satoshi raised an eyebrow. Would he joke about this? "Oh, wow! Thanks, Hiwatari-kun!" He had been right, Riku was running the track at the park, and once she was found, she received a firm scolding from Risa. Satoshi escorted them home from there as well.

* * *

Dark watched as the brown van rumbled away, a short puff of brown smoke appearing out the rear as it finally lurched forward. Saga and Funabashi disappeared around a bend and Dark walked up the embankment, wanting nothing more than to get home and go to sleep, when he met someone he didn't expect to. "Creepy."

"Mousey-senpai." Satoshi continued to watch Dark with a look of caution as the teen finally made it out of the ditch. It seemed everyone was staying out that night.

"What're you doing out so late? Won't your dad get mad at you?" Satoshi fell into step next to Dark. It wasn't like there was any other route to his house from here.

"I should be asking you," he responded with just a little bit of acid. Dark didn't really need to be mentioning his father. "Or do you make it a habit to hang out in the riverbed at night?" He watched the expression on Dark's face change. The reputation for such places was really quite notorious as the usual meeting place for gang members and drug dealers. Satoshi chose not to mention the suspicious van.

"Hey, I'm not into that kind of stuff, ok?" Satoshi felt Dark was being too defensive, but was too tired to want to push him further, and they walked in short silence. "So what were you doing?"

"Just out for a walk. You?"

A thoughtful look overcame the easy features. "Can you keep a secret?" Satoshi raised an eyebrow, but nodded all the same. Dark thought a moment or two longer. "Ok, but you have to swear not to rat me out, alright?"

"Ok." Right or wrong, curiosity was getting to him. They reached the bridge and Satoshi slowed to a stop. "I promise." Dark stopped walking and removed his backpack, unzipping it just enough to show a glimmer of gold. Satoshi stared, Dark nodded. Satoshi blinked, Dark raised his eyebrows. Satoshi's eyes narrowed. "You didn't."

"I did." Dark smirked as if he was proud. Satoshi frowned. What did Dark have to be proud about?

"That is a _crime_." Maybe Dark didn't know this. They could still go return it, maybe.

"So is you being out past curfew." _Why_ was Dark being so off-hand about this?

"But _I'm_ not doing anyone any harm."

"Neither am I." Satoshi couldn't tell if Dark was being serious. "Nobody cares about some stupid old vase, anyway. They won't even really notice it's gone." Dark took a step away. "My house is that way. See ya." Dark turned away and Satoshi watched him, but he just wasn't very good at watching people walk away tonight.

Dark stopped when his arm failed to keep up with him. He looked back to see Satoshi glaring up at him. "You will be arrested. You _do_ understand that, right?"

"I'm _not_–" Dark freed his arm "–going to be arrested."

"You really think you're not going to get caught?" Satoshi continued in a harsh whisper. "That is a one hundred-thousand dollar vase, donated from a town figurehead, stolen from the biggest museum in town, and you're carrying it around in your–in your _backpack_!"

Dark paused. "How do you know all that?"

Satoshi wanted to throw his hands in the air in frustration. "My father is head of the police department. They received a tip this afternoon that the vase would be stolen."

There was a pause, before Dark exploded with a wide gesture. "Then why weren't there any guards?"

"They didn't think the tip was credible." Dark burst out laughing, almost falling flat on his face when he bent over to clutch his stomach. Satoshi spoke again, feeling more than a little incredulous. "They won't make the same mistake twice, Mousey-senpai. Next time, there will be police waiting for you."

"Good."

"Good?" Satoshi's voice reached a new octave he had never known before.

"Maybe next time it'll be a challenge." Dark shrugged and began to walk away. "I'll be sure to tell you how it goes. See ya, Hiwatari!" When Dark was long out of range, Satoshi indulged in a long, frustrated groan before finally making his way home.

* * *

A/N: Well, that just about sums it up. Daisuke gets an allowance. Satoshi rejoins his class for Gym. Dark got to steal something. Saga and Funabashi drive a getaway van. Riku is still staying out late exercising. Satoshi looses his cool. -gasp-

Um, well, leave me some reviews. Yell at me for the hiatus, tell me your favorite part of the computer, giggle at an error on my part. Anything will do. I'll see you again soon!


	14. Week Three, Tuesday: Breaking Out

A/N: Long time no see, huh? Anyone keeping track of my profile and other stories should be aware of this now, but For the past two and a half months, I have been in Japan, and have only been able to acquire internet recently. I return to the US in two weeks, where I will finally be able to eat Sloppy Joes again. I miss Sloppy Joes.

Anyway, prepare for the possibility that this fic may undergo a minor overhaul just to give it some real locations based on my own experiences here.

In other news, we are getting ready for the end here. This thing is almost finished and I am almost to the point where I can post regularly until the end. Winding down will begin in a few chapters and the beginning of the climax will actually begin next chapter. It will be the exciting thing that I've been on about in all my other notes. I just hope you guys like it as much as I do.

Sorry for the delay, and I don't plan on keeping you much longer, but I really would like to thank anyone who's been loyal enough to stick with me through this and all my stupid delays. We writers never seem to have a good excuse for keeping everyone waiting other than perhaps a lack of flow of ideas. We really are a terrible breed.

Also, I've been considering lengthening the story a bit, but I'm not sure if I have the momentum to keep it up after the next couple chapters. It has a feeling that it ends too fast right now, so I want to flesh it out, but anything I do seems to not fit right. As for fic momentum, I have lost my notes for _FMftF_ and it might be canceled. I apologize if anyone was looking forward to it, and instead, I'll try to come up with something better. Please be patient with me.

That said, please read on and enjoy. I think I'll grab something to eat now. Don't forget to leave a review!

* * *

_"You're home late. Did something keep you?" He was waiting. He was always waiting._

_"No, Father."_

_"Really, now?" He watched him get up. "Do you know how long you were out?" He watched him drift out of view as he started circling. He hated it when he circled._

_"Three hours, fifty-seven minutes, Father." There was something up, but he didn't know what yet. Why couldn't he tell what it was?_

_"You are so very smart–and so observant." The man grinned, he could see it from the corner of his eye. He kept facing forward. "And yet, I find this whole situation rather odd. Do you know why?"_

_Of course he knew why, but he'd play the game. "No, Father."_

_"During the time you were gone, the vase in the museum was stolen, just as the notice threatened. Don't you find that odd?"_

_It was worse than he thought, but he didn't budge, and didn't let his worries show. "It was a coincidence, Father, nothing more."_

_A hand on his shoulder. Heavy. Menacing. "We'll just see about that one, won't we," and then, the only voice that had ever made him hate his own name, "Satoshi?"_

"…ri-kun? Hiwatari-kun?"

"Hm?" Satoshi's mind came back to focus in a flash, almost startling himself. "Oh, yes. What is it, Niwa?"

Daisuke frowned a worried frown. Satoshi didn't like it. "Are you alright? You seem spacey."

"I'm fine, Niwa. I just didn't get much sleep last night." Daisuke tried to say something, but Satoshi didn't give him the chance. "Now, is there something you needed?"

Daisuke's frown wavered a bit, but Satoshi saw the stubbornness fade. "How do you pronounce this?" Daisuke wrote a word in clumsy letters, but Satoshi was impressed that he remembered it.

"Oh, that's **family**." Satoshi watched as Daisuke said it to himself quietly a few times, and beat him to answering the oncoming question. "It means _kazoku_."

"Oh, thanks." Daisuke picked his little red book back up and jotted down a little note. Probably about the meaning of family. "Y'know, English isn't too bad once you stop thinking in Japanese." Satoshi raised an eyebrow, and Daisuke saw it. "I mean–when I was trying to translate it in my head, it was really hard, but when I stopped trying to think about it like Japanese and just accepted that each word has it's own idea behind it, it became a lot easier."

Satoshi shook his head and let a choked half-chuckle escape. He had forgotten the little tricks behind learning a new language. By now, it was just second nature, but for Daisuke, the whole thing was brand-new. "Good job. I'm glad you figured it out."

Daisuke smiled one of his idiot smiles and chose not to mention that was the first time he'd ever heard Satoshi laugh.

* * *

"…'n' then, right as my ol' man takes th' last shot on the roll, this crazy wind comes outta nowhere." Saga made a wide gesture to imitate the wind whooshing in. "Chiemi's shirt goes flyin' 'n' she starts freakin' out 'cause she knows the ol' man's got a shot'a her panties. She starts beatin' on him 'n' demandin' that he burns the entire roll, 'n' my dad–y'know what he says? He says," Saga put a hand to his chin and deepened his voice. "'You know very well that I could never burn my art.'"

Dark and Saga burst out laughing at the same time and Funabashi rolled his eyes. Krad didn't even pretend he could follow the slang-laden conversation. "Yeah then what happened?"

"She goes _berserk_! The ol' man finally had ta call security to get her off'a him." Funabashi shook his head. He knew very well that Saga's father hadn't called security, at least not in the way Dark was probably imagining it. The elder Saga had simply called him over, very calmly, and Funabashi picked her up and had her escorted off the property. Escorted in this case meaning he had her slung over his shoulder as he carried her outside kicking and screaming.

Dark chuckled again. "Well, some girls are crazy like that without any publicity. I can't imagine what some of them would be like if they ever got–Hiwatari!" The other three pairs of eyes went to the doorway to find the blond entering the room. "You're late this morning. What kept you?" Dark bounded over, and like the pal he was, clapped his hand down on Satoshi's shoulder. Satoshi flinched and sucked in a quick breath through clenched teeth. "Whoa, you ok?"

"I'm fine." Satoshi removed Dark's hand from his shoulder and brisked over to his spot next to Krad. "Niwa had a lot of questions this morning."

"No, I mean your shoulder, idiot." Dark wasn't good at the playing along act. Satoshi didn't really think he would be. "You hurt it or something?" Satoshi couldn't tell if Dark was sincere or just curious. He regarded Dark for a moment, trying to decide on that matter, but didn't wait too long. He couldn't have people think he was hesitating.

"I fell." Funabashi's eyes slid over to him and Satoshi read the look easily. He didn't believe him, but it didn't matter anyway. Funabashi was not the one he needed to be mindful of.

"Ouch, that must suck." Dark sucked his teeth and ruffled Satoshi's hair. Satoshi's face morphed into an indignant scowl as he ducked his head away from the invasive hand. "Be more careful next time."

* * *

Krad was presently surprised when he exited the campus and Daisuke was already there waiting for them. It gave him another sense of regularity and order that he had begun to miss almost as much as he missed his regular diet. He'd had this terrible craving for chips and salsa recently, it was starting to get to him. Putting that aside, he smiled at the redhead as he separated himself from the wall. "**W'e a- s'tady'ing to-day?**"

Oh, a pleasant surprise. "**Yes, but we're waiting for the others.**" Niwa put on the grin that meant he didn't understand a word of what was just said and Krad tried rephrasing it. "**First we wait for Dark and Hiwatari.**"

Daisuke nodded. "**Ok!**"

"Your English really is getting better, Niwa-kun." Krad jumped about five feet as Satoshi materialized from thin air. Just how did he keep doing that? "**I take it Niwa's studying with us today.**"

"**Yeah, just waiting for Dark now. Your dad's not going to give you trouble today?**"

Satoshi kept his face still. Krad had met his father and Satoshi had been honest about his reasons for ditching out on them one too many times. He should be expecting the question, but that didn't mean he liked hearing it. "**He'll be at work until late, so it should be fine.****Besides****–**"

"Hey guys!" Next thing Satoshi knew, Dark had somehow climbed onto Krad's back and Krad was finding it very difficult to both keep his balance and try to claw Dark's arms from around his neck at the same time. "What are we all standing around for?"

"Mousey-senpai, foreigners still need air." Satoshi didn't panic like Daisuke did. Dark had never killed anyone–at least, not yet.

"Hm? Oh." Dark climbed down calmly and Krad filled his lungs back up with air. "Anyway, what are you waiting for?"

"You." Dark blinked. "Unless you were unaware that we were studying today even though it was brought up during lunch this afternoon."

Dark frowned at the implication that he hadn't been paying attention, even though he hadn't, but that wasn't the point. "You two might be studying, but not me. I got stuff to do tonight and Dai-chan's coming with me."

"I am?"

"Is that so?" Satoshi narrowed his eyes in annoyance. If Dark was going to do what he thought he was going to do… He caught Dark's expression and felt a little reassured. Even Dark wouldn't drag poor Niwa along in a heist.

"Yeah, so you and Krad can do whatever. See you tomorrow." He grabbed Daisuke's wrist and started walking. "Let's go Dai-chan."

Daisuke didn't fight, not wanting to make a scene so close to the campus. "Wait a sec'. What are we doing tonight?"

Dark looked at him like it should've been obvious. "I'm helping out in a Live tonight and one of the drummers said he'd give you a lesson later if you came."

"Oh." Daisuke jogged a little to catch back up with Dark. Curse his short legs! "What are you playing?"

"Bass for the first band, keyboard for the third, and rhythm guitar for the fourth. If Kensuke asks _really_ nicely, I might just help him out, too, but he didn't say anything about it beforehand. Bastard really needs to learn how to ask for help."

Daisuke stopped walking again. "Really? All that? Do you even know all the songs that well?" He couldn't recall actually seeing Dark practice any instruments aside from the one time in the music store, and if he had any of his own, he kept them hidden well because Daisuke had never seen them.

"Most of them, but I can sight-read the rest. The third band–_Rhythm Explosion_–really just needs me to play the tracks and stuff like that. Kawakami got pretty sick yesterday, but he had most of it already stored in the memory since they're going to make another CD soon."

"What about the other two?"

"I helped write the songs for the first band, so of course I know it, and the fourth is the one Kuan sponsored so I know their stuff pretty well."

"You write, too?"

Dark raised an eyebrow, wondering why Daisuke was so surprised. "Yeah, but not much. It's not particularly epic stuff or anything. I usually just try to get everything to sound right, and they can change it from there." He grinned. "I still get a cut of their earnings, though. Tonight's really gonna pay off."

"So," Daisuke tried to come up with something to talk about, "Where's this Live at?"

"Shibuya Box in Harajuku."

"Does mom know we're going?"

"Nope."

"… She's gonna kill you."

"I know."

* * *

Satoshi and Krad watched bewildered as Dark lead Daisuke away for a short while, but maybe they were so used to such things that they were no longer affected by them any more, and quickly put it aside. "**So, what should we do today, then?**"

Satoshi shrugged. "**It doesn't matter to me.**"

"**So long as you get home before your father does?**" Satoshi sent Krad one of his lighter glares.

* * *

His camera followed her every movement as she sauntered down the aisle. She was one of his favorites and she knew it. That was probably why he wasn't yelling at her by now. She wasn't doing poorly on purpose; something was bothering her.

"Think sexy, Miyuki-chan." She nodded and kept trying. It was only trying, and the more he felt that he had to give her directions on how to pose, the more he felt he was more behind than he was yesterday. She tripped over her skirt and he stopped recording. "Good job, Miyuki-chan. Go home and get some rest."

"Yes, sir." She relaxed and fell out of what level of Model-Mode she had been able to achieve that day and he felt a little sorry for her. Maybe Miyuki really wasn't cut out for a job where her personal life was not allowed to show in face. He'd have to start thinking about that, but for now, he watched everything on playback, looking for anything he could use for the commercial. She was a beautiful girl and a brilliant model, but she let her social life interfere with her work life and that was dangerous for someone of her profession.

"Sir." He set the video on pause. "Ms. Satomi has arrived for her interview."

Keiji shook his head and turned off the camera. Miyuki would have to wait a little longer. "Bring her in."

* * *

Daisuke glanced through the set list again, trying to ignore the bright orange Guest Sticker that was adhered to his favorite hoodie. The first band was called _Mo Mo Mo_, called so because each of the usual members had _mo_ somewhere in their names. The second was _Aksesori_, and the third was _Rhythm Explosion_. After that was _BoilCoffee_, _Screw That Coming Off_, and _Venom's'trip_. Daisuke frowned just a little. He had never heard of any of them before today and the fact that Dark knew four out of the six personally was just plain bizarre in his mind.

Or at least, it had been until he saw Kuan standing behind the sound board, then things made a little more sense. If those bands were regulars, or even those that Kuan helped gain approval for, then of course Dark would be familiar with them.

The smell of cigarettes was getting increasingly strong and Daisuke felt himself adjust to it slowly, silently hoping the ventilation was decent before the lights dimmed and the black curtain on the other side of the barrier began to rise.

The members of _Mo Mo Mo_ began to file in one by one as one of the more exciting tracks from their CD played in the background. First was someone who seemed impossibly tall from Daisuke's perspective with short bleached hair. He gave a short wave before settling himself behind the drum set without much flair. Next on stage was a man in a sleeveless shirt with long hair pulled back in a low knot. There was a bit of a skip in his step, as if he were trying to still psyche himself up on the way to his orange sparkly electric guitar. Next up was Dark who jumped in from his running start onto the stage with a scream, almost tripping over the mike cable on the way to the borrowed black, 5-stringed bass. Almost immediately after Dark appeared, another man stumbled on, laughing at Dark's clumsiness as he made his way to the mike at center-stage. He had one of those lop-sided grins plastered on his face as he grasped the mike stand with both hands with more energy than the crowd had just yet.

"Good evening everyone!" A few people mumbled back a good-evening and the lead singer frowned a little. "Aw come on, you can do better than that–" the guitarist and drummer played a short riff "–good evening everyone!" A couple people shouted, but the response wasn't that much stronger than before.

The vocalist chuckled to himself. "Ah well, you'll wake up in a bit. We're _Mo Mo Mo_ and this is our first song–" he dropped his voice at least an octave, preparing himself to sing, instead of warming up the crowd "–_Instant Rock-Star_."

The song started up and as the live continued, Daisuke couldn't help but think that Dark didn't look like he could be any happier than he was up on that stage.

* * *

Satoshi dipped his brush back into the paint, successfully blocking out all the people around him. They didn't matter at all. No, all that mattered was Rainbow Bridge and the Ferris Wheel and Odaiba and exactly how he was going to express the lighting at this hour. It was dark, it was late, and yet everything glowed. He only wished there was some way for him to get Tôkyô Tower in view as well, but it seemed impossible.

Maybe he could do it next time. The tower really was beautiful all lit up like that.

A hand touched his shoulder–soft, encouraging, and something like a memory. It didn't startle him at all. "**You really are good at this.**"

Satoshi shrugged, trying to keep his hand steady lest he stray from the fine lines he had set for the Ferris Wheel. In the back of his mind, he wondered who was riding it at that moment and if they knew just how magnificent that attraction was so late at night. "**You probably would be, too, if you practiced some more.**"

Krad shook his head. "**Nah, I just like to watch.**"

Satoshi almost left it at that, but somehow it just seemed wrong. "**Isn't that boring?**"

Krad watched the stillness pass over Satoshi's face and the small variations of emotions that interrupted it as the boy sought to understand how to convey the essence of the scene properly, and the steady, fixated concentration that overtook him with every stroke. "**No. It's not boring at all.**"

Neither of them paid any mind as the pedestrians stopped to stare at the painting and neither heard the chatter or compliments murmured between gossipers and admirers alike. Neither noticed that Krad's hand didn't leave Satoshi's shoulder until they started to pick up to go home, when the hand left without notice at all.

To their infinite relief, Krad as able to drop Satoshi off long before his father would return home.

* * *

Daisuke stood outside the live house with as much patience as he could muster. It was late, he was waiting, and really, he just wanted to sleep. Even the drum lesson he had been promised had not been when he thought it would have been. Apparently later meant later in the week, not that night. It was just fine with him, though. He had fun, but now it was time for sleep.

Dark finally emerged from the building, guitar case on his back, waving back to someone Daisuke couldn't see because of the light. He looked around and Daisuke waved his arm to signal him. Dark came quickly enough, but Daisuke could tell he was exhausted. The ones who had just played one set were tired enough, but Dark didn't really have a break.

"Taking the bass home?" Daisuke asked after about a minute of walking.

"Of course. It's one of mine." Daisuke tilted his head, and Dark must have seen his confusion. "Masaru accidentally took it home with him last time. Bought me a new strap to make up for it."

"Oh, ok." There was some more walking, and Daisuke didn't like the silence after being surrounded by sound for so long. "Do you have to carry it all the way home?"

Dark shook his head. "I can put it down on the train."

"Everyone else had a ride."

Dark laughed. "That's because half of them live way out in Asakusa and Hikarigaoka. Tsuyoharu offered us a ride, but he's only going as far as Sendagaya and he already has to take Nabuto to Aoyama." Dark shifted the weight on his back to the other shoulder. "Actually, I was gonna ask Saga, but he's busy tonight."

Daisuke looked horrified. "Saga-senpai has a driver's license?"

Dark laughed again. It was a good sound. "No way. Funabashi went and got his. I don't think anyone's stupid enough to let Saga use a lawn mower. Forget giving him a driver's license."

"Yeah."

There was a silence again, but Daisuke couldn't think of anything to say. They boarded the Yama-no-Te and were almost to Shinjuku for the transfer when Dark seemed to wake up suddenly. "Oh, right." He fished in his pockets, searching for something and muttering to himself as Daisuke watched. Finally, he seemed to find what he was looking for and tossed it to Daisuke.

Daisuke held it in his hands, staring, and trying to comprehend what he held. "A cell phone?"

"Mom found out you don't have one."

That explained everything. "Oh." The rest of the way home, he flipped through the menus and settings, finding a few phone numbers already inputted for him: Krad, Saga, Home, and Dark. Silently, he wondered who else he could get numbers from and who he would actually call and who would call him. Or would everyone just text back and forth? It was a thought that kept him occupied until he was finally home and asleep.

* * *

A/N: This whole chapter was a giant sack of awkward to write, but I hope you're not too disappointed. Everything is set up now and the next chapter will go up next week. Please look forward to it!


	15. Week Three, Wednesday: Falling Out

A/N: I'm actually on time. Aren't you proud of me? I was considering waiting to release this until I got a review on the last chapter, but I did promise to get it out this week, didn't I? I have a feeling that this chapter may either loose me a lot of readers or gain me a lot. I would really prefer for the latter.

In other news, I am speaking with someone who has sent me a message with wishes to make this story into a comic. I can't promise anything, especially considering that I am a very picky person. However, if it does go through, I will gladly tell everyone all about it!

Well, aside from that, my stay in Japan is winding down. I go to my last live on the 15th and return to the US on the 28th. My last live also means my last chance to meet with a friend of mine in a band. He really is a sweet guy, and I might have a thing for him, but it'd be kind of dumb to pursue it right before I leave, not to mention being unfair to both of us. Oh well.

Anyway, I don't think I actually mentioned it, but Screw That Coming Off and Venomstrip are both real bands here. I prefer Venomstrip personally, but STCO has a lot of potential as well. If you have time, look up Venomstip on YouTube, because there are videos of them up there.

Well, there goes the shameless plugging. Sorry for the wait! Here is the next chapter, I hope you leave satisfied.

* * *

Eight backgrounds, eight personalities, eight lives; eight paths intersecting at the point of friendship with eight people just standing around, getting impatient for a change.

And from here on out, things will never be the same.

* * *

He awoke to the sound of a harsh beeping sound, the same one he'd been hearing every morning since staying at his mother's. It was silenced quickly enough by a click, as it did every morning, and like every other morning, it went off again eight minutes later. He could hear his brother curse under his breath from across the room, and there was a crash against the wall. Not like every other morning, but not surprising, either. Dark hated that alarm clock.

Daisuke rolled over to face the sun in hopes that he wouldn't fall asleep again. Maybe it would keep him awake while he pretended to sleep. He could lay in bed a little longer. They weren't running late or anything.

He heard the sound of someone coming through the door and Daisuke lazily glanced over his shoulder to see who it was.

"Rise and shine!" Daisuke furrowed his eyebrows together. Why was his mom holding that baseball bat so menacingly? Emiko smiled a slightly creepy smile and held the bat above her head. "It's time to get up."

Dark shrieked and rolled out of the way as Emiko swung down, resulting in her only hitting a pile of empty blankets. "Jesus, Mom, don't attack me while I'm sleeping!"

"Well, if you would start doing your afternoon training like you're supposed to, I wouldn't have to, now, would I?" She giggled then put the bat down as she made her way over to her other son. "C'mon, Honey. It's time to get ready for school." Daisuke rubbed his eyes and let Emiko sit him up, too sleepy to object to the baby treatment. It was too early in the morning to mind.

* * *

Krad shook his head at the pathetic sight before him as he arrived in the classroom. Dark was there already, arms crossed with his head down, completely dead to the world. It wasn't a rare sight to see him sleep in class, but to already be asleep before school began was uncommon, and being completely out of it was a very rare thing, indeed.

And Dark had to be completely oblivious to the world outside his dreams if he was letting those girls braid his hair. Krad shook his head as he made his way to his seat and one of the girls giggled, putting a finger to her lips. Krad nodded and let them go on. Who knew, maybe they would get bored and give him a make-over while they were at it.

Krad wasn't a cruel man at all–not at all.

And what was especially un-cruel was the photo he snapped with his phone of the scene, and the nicest part of it was sending it to Niwa's phone.

This morning would be very amusing indeed.

* * *

Daisuke jumped in his seat at the unfamiliar sensation of his pocket vibrating violently and spent a few seconds recovering from the subsequent heart attack it gave him.

Satoshi raised an eyebrow at his student's odd behavior. "Is something wrong?"

"I think so?" Daisuke fished the phone out of his pocket, staring at it like it were a thing possessed for a few moments before flipping it open. "I have a message?" Satoshi joined Daisuke on his side of the desk to stare at the display as the image loaded. Daisuke's eyes got larger as the picture finished loading, and Satoshi just shook his head after studying it for a while.

"He's _your_ brother, Niwa-kun."

"I know." Daisuke positioned his thumb to begin to write a reply, when he was startled yet again.

"Hey, Daisuke, since when'd you get a phone?"

Daisuke made a short sound in his throat as the phone was snatched away from him. He scrambled out of his desk and made a grab for it, only to have it pulled just out of his reach. "Give it back, Saehara!"

"Just a sec." Daisuke pouted as Takeshi went through the menus for a couple seconds on both phones, then pointed them at each other before giving Daisuke his back. "There, see? That wasn't so bad."

Daisuke studied his cell for a moment. "What'd you do to it?"

"What'd I–?" Takeshi laughed. "Nothin', man. I just traded info with you." The look on Daisuke's face told Saehara he didn't get it at all. "Y'know, with the infrared?" Daisuke's head tilted to the side. "C'mon, Daisuke! Are you trying to tell me you don't know how to work your own phone?"

Daisuke sputtered indignantly for a few seconds before coming up with something comprehensible. "I–That's–It wasn't even–I mean–They–I only got it last night!"

Takeshi shook his head and sat on the desk in front of Daisuke, taking the phone again. "Ok, so you go here to turn on the infrared. If someone else's phone has it, you can send stuff back and forward. You have to hold them kinda close, though."

"Oh, ok."

"Do you know how to download ring-tones? Well, first you have to…"

Satoshi, knowing very well the study session was over for the day, snuck out quietly and made his way to the Senior's halls. He couldn't expect to have Daisuke's full, undivided attention everyday, and he knew he had to have other friends in class. It was a good thing that Daisuke hung out with other people once in a while. Besides, he kind of wanted to be there when Dark woke up anyway.

So why did he feel just a little abandoned?

* * *

"Well, I think band class sucks," Dark reiterated as they left the stuffy old room. It was the same conversation they had every day after leaving music class, but Krad didn't say a thing. He knew Dark was only mad because he was tired and because he got stuck playing the triangle that afternoon. "It's a waste of my valuable time."

"How is it a waste of time?" Whether Saga was pretending to be offended, or truly was, Krad had no idea. "You get to play with the instruments!"

"Yeah, and I have to listen to other people play, too. I don't know if you noticed, but each and every one of our classmates suck."

"It's not the quality of the sound," Saga commented sagely, "But the quality of the fun."

Krad raised an eyebrow at this, finally contributing. "You're only having fun because you like to laugh at the teachers when they yell at you for breaking things." Dark nodded at this, agreeing full-heartedly.

"Do not!"

"Do, too!" Dark was back in the fray.

"Do not!"

"Do, too!" It was then that Saga's and Dark's pushing war began. Krad didn't know why it started, but it did, and he stayed far to one side to avoid it.

"Idiot." Chuckle chuckle.

"Moron." Snigger.

"Jackass." Chortle snort.

And great, Krad rolled his eyes, they were throwing insults as well. So very mature. Where was Hiwatari when he needed him? Oh, there he was, Krad noticed as he stole a glance out the window. That's right, Hiwatari had Gym now. He watched him as he walked, tuning out Dark and Saga, eventually slowing to a stop to openly stare. Usually, Satoshi was very steady and fluid in all his motions, but today they were awkward and clumsy as he jogged to the side of the building. _He must have just had a growth spurt._

Meanwhile, the playful shoves had turned into a full-out war. "_Kusoboke_!"

"_Binbô_!" Krad perked up at Saga's use of the unfamiliar term, eyebrows furrowing in concern at the intensity of the once friendly match. Saga was still a grinning idiot, but Dark was seething. Maybe it was time to intervene.

"Half-blood!" Dark spat with genuine offense and slammed his fist across Saga's face as hard as he could. Saga, still thinking they were just joking around, wasn't prepared and reeled back. As soon as he bumped into him, Saga pushed off Krad to get back at Dark. The combination of Saga's momentum and Krad's weight was too much as he stumbled back on the glass. It shattered, raining down on the freshmen below. He felt himself tripping back over the ledge as he continued to fall mixed in with the glass, then be jerked to a stop when something closed firmly around his arm near his wrist. He didn't even have the presence of mind to care who or what kept him from falling further as he hung back, staring up at the ground.

"Shit, Krad!"

A hand clasped around his arm, another two on his shirt, then more joining in quick succession, all pulling him back inside. The clamor of the other students was lost on him as they helped him back in. His back scraped against the shards left in the window frame, taking some chunks with him as he came back, but it escaped his notice. All he was aware of was how very close he was to tumbling out the third-floor window and how very intimidating the ground was from such a height. _I__–__I almost died._

* * *

Gym was going as it usually did. The girls were along the side of the building, getting participation points for having walked the track earlier, some of the boys were struggling to be the best, others just struggling to keep up, Riku beating them all, and Satoshi… Well, Satoshi was satisfied enough that he kicked the ball in the right direction this time.

He paused on the sidelines as he felt the odd sensation of being watched. When he looked towards where it came from, he only saw Krad by the window talking with someone, and Risa waving at him. He waved back casually, deciding it would be ok now that she didn't seem so obsessed over him. On her signal, he jogged over. "Harada."

"Are you alright, Hiwatari-kun?" She laced her fingers behind her back, leaning forward. "You seem a little off today."

"I'm alright," he walked with her, being as casual as he could manage "Just a little tired. You?"

"Oh, I'm fine." She smiled and continued at her leisurely pace for a while, then walked ahead of him to walk backwards and face him as she kept going. "Y'know, Christmas is coming up in a week."

"I know. It kind of sneaks up on you, doesn't it?" He wondered where she was going with this, but didn't have to think for long.

Her eyes started wandering and he pushed his glasses further up the bridge of his nose, a gesture Risa recognized as a nervous habit. "You getting anyone any–Hiwatari-kun, did you hurt your wrist?" He didn't have time to be surprised as she snatched up the bruised limb. He resisted the instinct to flinch and jerk his hand away as her worried gaze tore into him. "What happened? Did–did someone…?"

"I fell." He gave the lame excuse quickly, knowing he wasn't convincing.

Risa's eyebrows bunched together and her mouth set in a worried frown. Her woman's intuition wasn't just telling her something wasn't right–it was screaming. "Hiwatari-kun, I–"

The sound of glass cracking stole their attention and both looked up at the same time to see what almost looked like rain falling from the sky. Satoshi brought his arms up to cover his head, dropping into a ball on the ground and he heard Risa scream. He hissed harshly through his teeth as the first shard ripped into his arm and shattered on the ground, sending smaller pieces bouncing back up to embed in his legs. A thousand pieces sliced his skin, and all he could recognize was pain all around and the sound of glass pinging off the asphalt. It stung and burned, and for a minute he thought it wasn't going to stop.

When it was all over, the cacophony of his class rushing over to help rose to his ears, but Risa's persistent screams were heard above it all.

* * *

"Stand back! Give him some air!" Dark put his violent mood to use as he held back the surging crowd. He could hear Krad trying to settle his breathing behind him, as well as Saga helping to keep back the masses. He could understand them to an extent. It wasn't every day that a classmate almost got pushed out a closed window. As a teacher started to usher the students away, Dark joined Funabashi at Krad's side.

The silent, somewhat spooky teen looked Dark directly in the eye and took the cue to make sure no other lingerers came close. As he stood, Dark realized that there was something strange about his arm. Funabashi pushed at his shoulder and grunted when it made a loud pop, and Dark understood instantly. Well, at least his arm was back in place now. _He must've popped it out when Krad fell_.

Oh yeah, Krad.

"Krad?" No response. "Krad?" The blond turned a bewildered gaze to Dark, and he accepted it as Krad paying attention. "You alright?" Krad only continued to stare, breathing roughly and never leaving his crouched position. "Hey, I'm really sorry about that." Dark let out a nervous chuckle. He had a feeling Krad wasn't understanding a word he was saying, but he felt better saying it than not. Besides, it looked like Krad was coming out of whatever daze he was in. "Good thing Funabashi was there to catch you. Y'know, you almost took him out the window with you, but he was smart and grabbed the wall. Then, I–"

Krad flung Dark's hand off his shoulder the moment it settled there as if it were on fire. He didn't know what Dark was going on about, but he didn't want to hear it. "**Next time you and that psycho decide to duke it out, keep it the fuck away from me. Do you understand me, Mousey?**" He stood carefully, spotting the teacher as he returned. Good, another person to be angry at. "**And you should keep better control of your students.**"

Shimokawa rose an eyebrow, muttering something to himself before referencing Saga for a translation. As soon as Keiji was done with proudly flaunting his gift for languages, Shimokawa decided it was his turn to be threatening. "The three of you are suspended. I want all of you off campus. Now."

Krad didn't even wait to finish hearing the end of his sentence before he left to pack his stuff. Thanks to his wonderful friend Dark, he now had a nice, shiny suspension on his once spotless record. He was going to kill the bastard, first chance he got. He managed to get to the courtyard before Dark caught up with him. "Hey, Krad!" On cue, an arm wrapped around his shoulder. _Stalker._ "We did great back there, didn't we?–"

"Dark–"

"I mean, did you _see_ the look on Shimokawa's face–"

"Dark–"

"–when he told him what you said?–"

"Dark–"

"It was priceless!"

"Mousey!" As soon as the name left his lips, the blonde bit the hand resting on his shoulder sharply to make a point. Unfortunately, Dark took that as 'I have rabies.' At least he let go.

"Ow!" Dark shook his hand quickly as if it would dull the pain. "Damn it, Krad, what'd you do that for?" He inspected the wound as he muttered: "I better not be bleeding."

"Don't touch me," the green-eyed boy stated shortly, trying very hard to rein in his strong dislike for the teen now about two feet away from him. The command caught his attention. "Don't talk to me. Don't pretend you know me. Don't look at me."

"Krad? Wha'?" Suddenly, Dark's face was way too close and looking concerned. "You got a fever or–? Ah!"

The shout only encouraged Krad to further dig his fingers into the wrist he was holding quite painfully. "You leave me alone." Twisting, testing the limits. "I leave you alone." He could feel the bones creaking under the pressure. How easy it would be to squeeze harder and break them. "We both live happily ever after." He released the bruising limb and Dark reeled back as if Krad was fire incarnate. "Understand?"

Dark's temper boiled under the surface. How _dare_ he do that? Now he was going to have to wear long-sleeves. And what kind of people were these foreigners anyway? He tried to help him and now…. He exploded. "What's your problem! I'm trying to be nice to you and you try to break my arm! What kind of friend is that?"

"Exactly," how Krad could be so calm with a raging Dark in his face was something that was beginning to piss the other off. "I'm not your friend, Mousey-san. I don't like you, and I'd appreciate it if you'd leave me alone. Otherwise I might break your arm for real," Krad waited a moment, making sure his threat sunk in before turning to walk away. "Although I suppose I'll have to tolerate you for now. Don't give me anymore suspensions."

Dark glowered after the retreating figure and when he was gone, he spat after him. "Prick." He took another glance at his hand and wrist for a moment–they just had to be the same one didn't they?–before licking the wound. "He _did_ make me bleed."

* * *

Satoshi hugged his knees close on the nurse's bed. He could hear who he supposed to be Risa's mother fussing and arguing. He couldn't understand what she was yelling about, but it wasn't hard to guess why. Risa was hurt, that much was obvious, in a school environment. This place was supposed to be safe, and Risa was injured. Secondly that she didn't get the chance to confront the offenders before they were kicked off campus so the teachers could deal with them when their tempers had cooled.

Thirdly was the wound itself. Like himself, Risa had received many cuts along her arms and back, but it seemed her luck was poorer than his own. Where Satoshi had escaped relatively well off, Risa had managed to get her face sliced open before she covered it properly. So far as he could tell, the cut ran along the right side of her face. And if he knew glass, it would probably scar.

If he knew Risa, she was probably devastated.

The arguing continued to get louder and louder before the nurse finally convinced Mrs. Harada to take her daughter and go home for the day–maybe seek medical attention elsewhere as well.

"Hiwatari-kun." Satoshi didn't look up from his knees. He didn't need to.

"Niwa," he acknowledged, slightly curious as to why the redhead was still hanging around. As far as the gossip went, he had been running for the nurse when everyone was anxious to crowd around and succeed in making Satoshi feel claustrophobic. It seemed Niwa had some sense in him after all.

"I brought you your stuff," Satoshi heard the rustling as the school-issued bag settled to his side and tried not to be annoyed that, once again, someone had come into contact with his things, even if the gesture was appreciated. "Well, not me–I asked Saehara to get it, but–" Niwa stopped himself from babbling on and sighed, running a hand through his hair. "You feeling ok?"

"Yeah." _Why are you still here? _Satoshi waited, but Daisuke didn't seem to want to say anything else. He brainstormed quickly as to why Niwa was hanging around and came up with a solution: he hadn't been thanked yet. "Thank you," he started and Niwa snapped to attention, "For fetching the nurse. It was really… composed of you."

"Yeah, well." Niwa chuckled in what Satoshi felt was a nervous manner, and he knew he was probably scratching the back of his head. "I think in situations like that, it's no good to panic, right? Besides, I don't think I would have been able to do anything else otherwise."

"I guess you're right." There was silence again as the topic faded away, and _that_ question began gnawing away at Satoshi again. He spoke again, hearing his own voice and thinking it sounded so very disinterested. "Why haven't you returned to class?"

"Me?" Satoshi nodded. "Because I'm worried about you."

Satoshi spared that comment a glance. Niwa was wearing his best idiot grin. Satoshi wished Daisuke would have sense twenty-four-seven. "There's nothing to worry about, Niwa. Harada-imouto is worse off than I am."

"Yeah, I know, but," Daisuke began again, sounding just a little serious mixed in with the pausing and the screwing of the eyebrows that told Satoshi that he was really thinking about what he was saying, "You're really quiet right now, and not your usual quiet. A different quiet." Satoshi was surprised to know that Niwa could tell the difference between his Quiets. "And I don't think it's a good quiet. Not just today, either. A lot recently. I don't know what it is, though."

Satoshi observed Niwa pick at invisible nothings on his pants. He didn't know what to say. That someone could tell the difference between his moods was something he felt should have been important, but he couldn't bring himself to think that way.

"It's making me worry," Niwa spoke frankly, without the bumpers of flowery language and expanded explanations. Just what he felt. Niwa Daisuke, the boy who wore his heart on his sleeve. "So are you ok?"

Satoshi was inwardly glad he wasn't looking Daisuke directly in the eye, or else he would have felt bad lying to him. "Yeah, I'm fine."

* * *

Her breaths were like her stride, long and fast. Even if she had paced herself better, she doubted she could go much further. Her muscles burned and every limb felt like it was attached to a lead weight. Still, she had to keep going. She had to get better, faster, stronger. There was nothing else.

Nothing, that is, except an image of glass falling like rain on her little sister.

Riku's feet slowed to a halt and her exhaustion began to catch up to her as she rested her weight on her knees. Sweat dripped down her face, but she hardly even noticed.

"What am I doing?" There was no one left in the park to answer.

* * *

Satoshi stood at the front gate of his house, staring up at the door he knew he had to walk up to sometime. He didn't want to. In fact, he just wished he never had to walk through that door again, especially now. Satoshi grabbed his left arm self-consciously. What would his father say about it? Rather, how would he even begin to explain what had happened? How would Kei react? Would he be worried about him? Would he be angry that Satoshi didn't have enough sense to avoid injury or enough mental prowess to at least keep Risa from being injured?

Would he even care one way or another?

He lowered his eyes again, thinking about Risa, and how she would have to explain to her parents what happened. How would she go about it? Did she even have to? The school probably called her parents to let them know. Satoshi knew they had tried to reach Kei just as much as he knew Kei hadn't used the phone listed on the records in years.

The longer he stood there, the more intimidating his house became and the more his feelings of dread rose.

His feet started moving, the door disappeared from view, and Satoshi find he didn't mind. After all, Kei wouldn't be home for a couple hours anyway.

* * *

Riku opened the door to her house, home earlier than she had been in a while. It would be ok to take a day off from practice, right? "I'm home." As she began to slip off her shoes, a voice rose up to meet her.

"Risa–"

"I'm Riku, dad."

"Right, Riku," the man on the couch flipped the page of his newspaper. "Run upstairs and tell your sister to come down. It will be dinnertime soon."

"Yes, dad." She made her way up the stairs and to her sister's room tentatively. She didn't know what condition Risa would be in, but she could feel the negative emotions before she even reached the door. She knocked twice, then opened the hard wood just far enough that her voice would get through. "Risa, dad told me to tell you to come down for dinner but you don't want to, right?"

There was a quiet "uh-huh" from within the room.

"I'll tell him you're asleep, ok? Send me a message when you're hungry and I'll bring you something." There was no response. Riku didn't really expect one. Why was this so awkward? "Make sure you eat something. Don't make yourself sick."

"Ok." There was another silence and Riku moved to shut the door. "Thanks, Riku, for understanding."

Riku forced herself to smile. "No problem. You just rest and feel better, ok? Text me if you need anything." She shut the door soundly and took a deep breath before the descended the steps.

"Is your sister coming?"

"She's asleep."

* * *

Funabashi entered the room quietly, knowing there was no need to knock, even though it was well after midnight. Every time he entered that room it felt a little larger and a little more crowded. Over the years, the vast collection of toys had only grown larger and he doubted anyone besides himself and one other knew how to navigate it without impaling your foot on some model train set or Hot Wheel car. Even the bed at this point was hardly a bed, but a mountain of stuffed animals that the other buried himself into every night to sleep.

The toys were not what he was looking for, though, and he mindlessly picked his way across the room in the dark to the small television, lit up by an ancient video game Funabashi couldn't place, and sitting in front of it was the only other person who would be able to get so far deep into the labyrinth besides Funabashi himself.

"Sir."

"What?" He was testy. Funabashi had expected this even before he saw him mashing the buttons on the controls with a furious obsession. If he hadn't expected it, he wouldn't have been any good at his job.

"Hikari is not the one you're angry with."

Keiji froze and his character lost a life, _Game Over _flashing on the screen and casting eerie shadows on the forest of toys. Funabashi just stood there, watching the youngest Saga process his words without moving and he had to wonder if he truly understood them. Then he chastised himself for doubting–for momentarily falling for the lie Saga perpetuated to make life easier on himself.

No one expected an idiot to be any more than an idiot.

"Thank you, Funabashi. That will be all."

* * *

By the time Satoshi had even realized where his feet had taken him, he was already down by the riverbed. In the back of his mind, he wondered why he would go to such a place in the first place, but an unfamiliar van rumbled up along the shore and pulled to a stop just long enough for a familiar man with sticky fingers to hop out the side. He waited patiently for him to scale the steep incline. Maybe after an encounter with Dark, he would be ready to go home.

"Do you wait for me like this every night?" Dark drawled sarcastically as Satoshi became visible over the crest of the hill.

"No, just when I need a charming example of human depravity." Satoshi knew that Dark didn't mind the banter, and all the better.

Dark switched his pack to the other shoulder. "It's really hard for me to feel insulted when I have no idea what you just said."

"So you're a moron _and_ a criminal. Congratulations." Satoshi's humor always had been dry, but Dark picked up on something different.

"Something wrong?"

Satoshi didn't even notice Dark had stopped walking until he was about a yard ahead of him. It seemed Niwa wasn't the only observant one in that house. Despite the fact that Dark was a criminal, Satoshi felt he could trust him at least this far. "You know that glass incident this afternoon?" Dark nodded; of course he knew. "I was involved in it. A girl in my class was also hurt." Satoshi was pretty sure Dark knew of Risa, but he was also certain Risa wouldn't want anyone to know. "If my father finds out, I don't know how he'll react. I don't think I can go home tonight."

Dark gave a thoughtful pause. He had always caught the vibe that Satoshi's home life was anything but enviable–most of the top student's situations were similar–but he had never made to guess to what extent. "You know, you can always crash at my place."

"Dark," Satoshi didn't know if Dark had gone insane or just wasn't thinking right, but that had to have been one of his dumbest ideas yet, even if the invitation was appreciated. "You know very well I can't stay in a house full of stolen items."

"Yeah," Dark gave a nervous chuckle and started walking again. Satoshi followed suit. "That would be bad, huh? I dunno, have you called Krad?"

"I'll try that, thanks." They continued on in an easy silence for a while, until Satoshi's curiosity got the better of him. "That wasn't Saga's van."

Dark crossed his arms, a little annoyed. "He didn't answer the phone. I got a buddy of mine to pick me up instead."

"What did you steal this time, Phantom Thief?"

"Nah," Dark waved his hand, "Just Dark this time. I didn't announce it or anything."

"You didn't?"

Dark wasn't sure if it was a rhetorical question or not, but he answered it anyway. "No, I got my mom something tonight to apologize for getting suspended today." He brought the backpack in front of himself and started to dig through it as he walked. "I was kind of involved in the glass thing, too. Krad just about fell out that window."

Satoshi wanted to ask, but decided better of it as Dark pulled out a gem. Satoshi couldn't make out the colors in the dark setting, but he knew what it was anyway. "You stole the Abstract Hope Sapphire unannounced?"

"Yeah. Mom's been eyeing this for years." Dark stowed it away again just before they hit a streetlight. All he needed was for the thing to glimmer in its light. "Thought she'd appreciate it since I really screwed up today."

Satoshi shook his head, not sure what kind of mind could appreciate thievery. "How is Hikari-senpai doing, anyway?"

Dark frowned. "He doesn't want anything to do with me anymore. After we got suspended, I tried joking around with him a bit to cheer him up, and he bit me, almost broke my arm, and basically told me to never talk to him again."

"So he's upset about it, then." When Dark had admitted to being involved in the window incident, Satoshi had secretly assumed it was his fault. Now he knew he didn't have to feel guilty about jumping to conclusions this time around. "Was he hurt badly?"

Dark shrugged. "Just a few cuts, though his back got pretty messed up with all that broken glass. I think it scared him pretty bad though." They came to the bridge and Dark paused, scratching the back of his head. "You sure you can't come crash at my place?"

Satoshi nodded. "Yeah, I'll find accommodations elsewhere."

Dark sighed, laying a hand on the under-classman's shoulder gently, knowing the wounds were still fresh under that shirt. "Be careful, ok?"

"You, too."

Dark left and Satoshi was able to walk another block before a familiar car pulled up beside him. His stomach turned to ice, but he climbed in without so much as a word.

* * *

A/N: See? I told you it would be exciting. Things won't be the same from here on out, I promise.

And before I get any reviews on how this was completely impossible, let me just say that some of the windows here are really flimsy, brittle, and cheap. I almost fell through one at a train station during my stay here in Japan, and that was just from leaning against it. I can't say I've been in a public high school here, but I also can't imagine there being some secret Window Strength and Reliability Law regarding education buildings I've never heard about.

Next chapter should be out within the next couple weeks. Look forward to it, and review in the meanwhile!


	16. Week Three, Thursday: I'm Not Ok

A/N: I have to say this has been the hardest chapter to post out of all of them. It wasn't difficult to write in the slightest, but the decision to really take the story in this direction was a tough one for me, and I'm almost nervous for the reactions I'll be getting from this one. I would really appreciate a lot of feedback on this chapter.

I go back to America in a week, so this chapter somehow lines up to my depressed mood a bit, and I'm afraid it might not lighten up for a while.

I feel everything changes from this point on. Between this chapter and the last, and a short bit in an upcoming chapter, I can't imagine keeping the characters the same any longer. I'm sorry if anyone dislikes the chapter - be it for content or otherwise - but I really am satisfied with it and feel it is an excellent piece of work when compared to my meager writing abilities.

Just like the slightly unrealistic situation in the previous chapter, I'm afraid I might lose readers over this chapter, more so actually this time around. I don't think such epic chapters will be written for this story any more, so I won't have to fret over it from this point on.

I think that's enough of my ramblings. Please don't forget to leave me a review. I can only know how to take future stories from what I gather on what people like.

* * *

"_There was another robbery tonight, Satoshi."_

_He knew where this was going._

"_Once again, the item was stolen as if the thief had a very intimate knowledge of the museum workings," he didn't answer. Nothing he said could save him now, "And once again, my son was no where to be found while it took place."_

_There was no way he could give an excuse without giving Dark away._

"_Where have you been hiding them?"_

_If Dark was going to be caught, it was going to be Dark's fault, not his._

"_No, you aren't keeping them. You're too clever for that, aren't you?"_

_Kei started circling again, slower than he ever had before._

"_Someone else has them, don't they, Satoshi? Someone else has been holding the art for you."_

_He was behind him now, angrier than he had ever been before._

"_Is it that Hikari boy?" Satoshi flinched inwardly. "Is that who you've been giving the stolen art to?"_

"_Hikari-senpai has nothing to do with this." It was a mistake. He knew it was before the words ever left his mouth, but it didn't matter. Nothing could redeem him now._

"_Is that so? Then why don't you tell me just who does have something to do with this?" Satoshi felt himself grow cold. "Or are you lying to me about Hikari, too?"_

"_I am not lying, Father." He ground every thing out slowly, clinging to his temper like a lifeline. "Hikari-senpai is not involved in this at all."_

_Satoshi didn't move. He didn't breathe. Kei did all the breathing he needed for the both of them__–__straight down his neck._

"_So you admit to being involved in the thefts?"_

_Then, even the breathing stopped._

"_No son of mine is to be involved in any sort of illegal activities, do you understand me, Satoshi?"_

_He understood very well. Kei was the head of the police. Even the most indirect relation with any sort of crime ring would cost him his title, probably his job as well._

"_If you do not confess who you are working with, you will be punished most severely."_

_He kept his mouth shut and the stillness in that dark room passed over an eternity before Kei's voice shattered what remained of Satoshi's calm. "So be it." Those three little words were the last thing he could remember before everything began to blur together and nothingness overtook him._

Waking up hurt. That was all he could come up with at this point. Breathing hurt. Thinking hurt. Everything hurt. Opening his eyes to the harsh light pouring in from the window sent another pang across his mind and stung his eyes, but he kept them open. He'd have to get used to it sooner or later. He was greeted with the green carpet and wooden furniture of the Office Room. He didn't expect it to be any different.

Satoshi noticed his shattered glasses by his hand as he pushed himself off the floor, and the only thing he could think of was how much he hated having to resort to the pair from last year again. He could already feel that the day would be a disaster and he knew exactly whose fault it was. He could have given Dark away and cleared himself, but he didn't. He could have saved himself, but he didn't. And now, he didn't know what to do.

No, that was a lie. He knew exactly what he had to do. He had to get himself ready and decent for school. He could figure it out from there once he got there. That was it. He would take it step by step until he reached a solution–eventually even procrastination would become a decision in and of itself.

Besides, there were more pressing matters to consider, such as classes and classmates. Specifically Niwa and Gym. Satoshi sighed as he started up the shower.

Today was just going to be more trouble than it was worth.

* * *

Daisuke swung his legs impatiently at the desk. Satoshi was late. Satoshi was never late before. He had been absent–and now that he thought about it, he'd never gotten an explanation for it–but never late. Daisuke leaned back in his chair, balancing it on two legs as he stared back at the ceiling.

He was worried. Satoshi worried him, and he couldn't identify why.

No, he knew exactly why. He'd told him why just the day before. Something was going on with his best friend, and he didn't want to say what it was. The fact that he had denied it only gave him all the more reason to worry. It made Daisuke think he was in some sort of trouble.

And after yesterday–

Daisuke let out a long sigh. Yesterday had been a mess all around. Dark was suspended, Satoshi and Krad were both hurt, and Emiko was able to stop scolding Dark long enough to ask Daisuke why he had been over so often recently, and if everything was alright at home, and that if anything was going on, he could just tell her.

The problem was that he really couldn't, and he was kind of hoping that Satoshi would be there today to convince him to let him stay over that night.

And Satoshi wasn't even showing up.

"Niwa-kun?"

Daisuke yelped and jumped, letting his chair return to a more natural position on all four legs before finally turning to face the person who had interrupted his train of thought. "Hara–Riku-san. Good morning."

"Morning." She gave a small smile from the doorway where she stood and meandered into the classroom. "Hiwatari's not here yet?"

Daisuke shook his head. "No, I haven't seen him."

Riku hummed and hoisted herself up on the desk. "Risa isn't coming today, either." She saw Daisuke's curious look out of the corner of her eye and immediately moved to cover for her concern. "I mean–well, you know Risa. She's more embarrassed about the whole thing than anything else. I bet Hiwatari's feeling the blow to his ego, too."

"Yes, I suppose I am."

Riku barely held back her instinct to swing at whoever it was directly behind her, only because she recognized the voice and settled for jumping startled off the desk, and clutching her chest as if suffering a heart attack. "How–how did you?"

Daisuke chuckled. "There you are." He followed Satoshi with his smile, pretending not to notice how slowly and deliberately he moved. "We didn't think you were going to come today."

"I'm not injured so severely that I should miss school." Satoshi laid his books on the desk and let his bag hang off the chair. "Also, I'll be attending with the class until Hikari-senpai's suspension is over. Now is there anything in particular you would like to cover before classes begin?"

Daisuke grinned and leaned forward in his chair to rest his arms on the desk. Satoshi was talking today. It was just informative, but at least he was speaking. "Yeah, how do you make a verb intransitive?"

"You don't, usually. They're usually separate words."

"Huh?"

"For example, _ochiru_ is **fall** and _otosu_ is **drop**. You have to learn the separate words."

"Well… that's dumb." Riku frowned as she sat on an unoccupied desk.

"That's languages for you."

"It's dumb," she reiterated, having nothing better to say.

* * *

"**Sir?**"

Krad didn't respond. Minesweeper was much more interesting, as it had been for the past ten hours. Sometimes when you couldn't hit someone in the face, obsessing madly over some classic game was just as stress-relieving. That, or maybe it was lack of sleep getting to him.

"**Sir, your father requests you come down for breakfast.**"

"**I'm not hungry.**" Damn, he lost again. It was all the maid's fault. He could be angry at her.

She didn't leave. Why wasn't she leaving? "**We're worried about you, sir. You really ought to get some rest.**"

"**Leave.**" Minesweeper was frustrating, and he switched to Solitaire. She didn't budge. Krad frowned, but didn't grace her with the honor of him glancing her way. "**Are you deaf? I told you to leave.**"

She left, just as she was told, and deep down, Krad wished she would have stayed and bothered him just a little longer.

* * *

Satoshi hurried back to the locker room to change into his normal clothes before anyone else came. He had used the excuse of using the restroom before gym began and was able to simply wait until everyone else had left, but it wouldn't work twice, especially not right before Hotta's class. He was a mess and he knew it, and the last thing he needed was for anyone to find out. Quickly, he switched out of the sweatpants and back into the uniform slacks, glancing around to make sure no one came. If someone found out, it'd be all over; he'd be ruined.

Hearing no one, he tore off his shirt and reached over for the long-sleeved button-up he had always opted to wear, knowing no one would question him for it, when he heard a gasp. He froze, not wanting to turn and see who saw. Maybe if he pretended they were never there, it would all go away. He just wanted it all to go away.

"Hiwatari-kun?" Satoshi's sense came back and he quickly pulled on the shirt, hoping the action could erase what had happened. It didn't. Niwa was only adamant at the most annoying times. "Hiwatari-kun, what happened?"

Satoshi didn't look at him. "It's alright, Niwa-kun." If he didn't look at him, maybe he could pretend he was never there–pretend he never saw. "It's all from yesterday." If he didn't look at him, then maybe Daisuke wouldn't see it either. He knew it didn't work that way, but he prayed for it all the same. He didn't need anyone to know how weak he really was.

"You're lying." Satoshi felt Daisuke grab his wrist and he flinched at the tinge he felt from the motion and the fact the he had the stupidity to look at him when he did it. The pair of worried, brown eyes froze him to the spot and he couldn't breathe because he knew it was real. "Glass doesn't bruise." It was real and he was found out and he was ruined. "Something's going on that you're not telling me–"

"Niwa." He had to stop him.

"–and you've been lying to me about it–"

"Niwa." He had to take control of the situation.

"–all this time! Who did this to you, Hiwatari-kun? Who–"

"Niwa!" Satoshi tore his wrist away from Daisuke's grasp. He could handle this. If it was just Niwa, then he could manage it. No one else would have to know. Everything would be ok for just a little while longer. A little while was all he needed. "The rest of the class will be here soon and I will not have you embarrassing the both of us like this when they arrive. Do you understand me?" Daisuke shrunk away and Satoshi knew he was being too stern, but it was better to overdo it than to never get the point across. "I'm fine, I can handle it."

"But, Hiwa–"

"You can't tell anyone, alright? No one else can know." Daisuke looked unsure and Satoshi knew he was trying to decide what to do and what to say. He knew what decision he would come up with, so Satoshi decided to chose for him. "You understand, right, Niwa? No one else can know."

Daisuke nodded and Satoshi strode away before the rest of the class began to file in. In the back of his mind, Daisuke felt like he had just done a terrible thing, but it wasn't anywhere near as wicked as what he was about to do.

Satoshi didn't want anyone to know, and that meant he was in trouble.

"Sensei."

"Yes, Niwa-kun?" The gym teacher smiled and Daisuke couldn't help but think it was very inappropriate.

"I–" For the first time in his life, Daisuke knowingly and willingly went back on his word. "I think Hiwatari-kun's in trouble."

* * *

Riku became curious when the teacher called Satoshi aside for a conversation. It wasn't as if this wasn't a usual occurrence, but the surprise then betrayal that crossed his face in an instant as he was summoned, and the guilt that seemed to overtake Daisuke at the same time told her something was wrong. She tried to read their lips through the glass window on the door, but found that she was no good at that at all.

Satoshi hardly said anything while the teacher chattered on, but it didn't seem as though he needed to. The longer the conversation took, the more strained he seemed to hold his tongue, and then he said something short, and the teacher seemed to ask a question.

There was a short while where neither spoke and Riku could swear that if Satoshi had any less patience, he would have shouted something back. Instead, he spoke calmly and slowly, almost not moving his lips at all as if he knew someone would be trying to read them.

The teacher said something more, and then both returned to the classroom. She wasn't sure if she had imagined it or not, but she could've sworn she saw Satoshi send Niwa the scariest look she had ever seen in her entire life.

* * *

Keiji kicked his rock further down the side of the pavement. It clattered against the asphalt a few feet and skittered to a stop just as it did the last time he kicked it a few seconds ago. If it really didn't want to be kicked, it would have gotten out of the way already. No, it _wanted _to be kicked and Keiji was just in the mood to comply.

As much as considering the masochism of inanimate objects appealed to him, that was not what he had set out to do. His eyes scanned the riverbed downhill and he finally saw who he was looking for. He hadn't answered his phone when he had called, and that alone told Keiji where he would be able to find him. Dark was so predictable sometimes.

Keiji slid down the steep slope to where Dark was mercilessly chucking helpless stones into the river. Dark didn't acknowledge him, and it was ok. He was angry. Keiji had been the same the night before. As far as he could see to the right, there were no rocks left on their side of the stream.

"It'll take years if you're tryin' to build a dam that way, Dark."

Dark just threw the next rock harder.

"Oh! I think you just knocked out a fish!"

"Shut up, Saga."

Keiji frowned. "So that's what I get for tryin' to cheer up my buddy, huh? Hmph!" He kicked at the dirt and flopped down on the ground, using his hands behind his head as a pillow and neither spoke for another three rock throws. Keiji wasn't going to get anywhere this way and he knew it.

Dark ran out of rocks again and bent down to pick up some more. "Where's Funabashi?"

"He's gotta work with my dad today." Dark just nodded to that and started throwing again. "He told me somethin' last night, y'know. 'Hikari is not the one you're angry with.'" The last stone made a solid plunk in the river and Keiji knew he had Dark's attention. "Ya can't be mad at Hikari for gettin' ya suspended forever, Dark."

"Forget it, Saga." Dark threw the rest of his stones away in one toss. "Hikari wants nothing to do with us."

Keiji leaned up on his elbows, raising one eyebrow to disappear beneath his hair. "He told you that?"

Dark crossed his arms and Keiji wondered if Dark was ever going to turn to face him. "Yeah, right after he bit me and tried to break my arm."

Keiji sucked his teeth. Damn, this was going to be harder than he thought. "Would you want to be friends with you after you pushed you out a window?"

Dark finally turned to face him and Keiji didn't know why he looked so calm. "Heist tomorrow night. Be my getaway?"

Keiji shook his head with a grin. "Alright, but only 'cause ya asked so nice."

* * *

Satoshi sat in a chair he felt was too large for him, resisting the urge to spin it around in circles as he waited and scolding himself for such childish thoughts. Now was not the time. The whole situation was out of his control, and he had to find a way to give himself the upper hand. He had until the principal realized he was never going to reach his father over the contact numbers to come up with something, and he was drawing a blank.

He chastised himself for that, too. He had been far too careless and now it was costing him. He could have prevented it all from the beginning. He could have stopped taking walks once the heists began. He could have just told his father the truth. He could have found a way to opt out of gym that afternoon, but he didn't.

He refused to believe that it was because he wanted to be found out.

The door opened and the principal looked at him softly through the door phone in hand, with the secretary peeking from behind. "Hiwatari-kun, would you give me your father's cell phone number?"

"No, I will not." Refusing the authority was something he never would have done before. Since when had he changed?

The principal shook his head and passed the phone back to the secretary and entered the room fully, shutting the door behind himself. "Hiwatari-kun, you know this is a serious matter."

"What is?" Satoshi was carefully feeling out for a back door from the conversation. Anything to get some semblance of control returned to him. Once he had it, he could monopolize it and steer everything to his liking.

The principal seemed to hold in a sigh. "Bullying is not a joke." That caught Satoshi's attention, but he didn't let it show. "We take it very seriously here, and if someone is bothering you, you can come to us at any time, confidentially, and we can solve the problem. But we can't do anything unless you tell us what is going on."

"Who said anything was going on?" He said it as lightly and curiously as he could manage. He couldn't let it slip that he had calculated every syllable.

"Hiwatari-kun–"

"What evidence do you have that I've been bullied?" The principal didn't speak, and all at once Satoshi had found his way out. "Nothing happened. Niwa-kun just saw a bruise and blew everything out of proportion."

The principal shook his head again. "Where did you get this bruise from?"

That was not what the principal was supposed to say. "I fell." The excuse was so ready that Satoshi surprised even himself.

"Hiwatari-kun," it was a warning–one Satoshi didn't care to heed. Especially not when he was winning.

"I'm clumsy and I fell."

The principal pulled up the blinds to the office, looking down into the courtyard in thought for a few moments, and for a while, Satoshi thought he was off scot-free. "Hiwatari-kun, I'm going to contact the police in the morning to investigate this matter. Until then, take care of yourself."

Satoshi fumed quietly inside, but stood with as much control as he had. "Then, if you'll excuse me." Satoshi left the room calmly and quickly as he could.

When the principal heard the door click, he let his shoulders slump. Satoshi worried him, and it wasn't just about the conversation today. He hated seeing one of his best and brightest have troubles, especially when they were as well-behaved as Satoshi was. The fact that Satoshi adamantly refused any and all help only made him that much more concerned.

Something was going to change, and he could only hope that his top student could hold on long enough for that change to come.

* * *

She stared at the hideous beast in the mirror. The one with too round a face and eyes too big. With hair too light and eyes anything but green. The face with a cut across the right cheek that had already begun to scar. She was ruined and no amount of make up would ever cover it up.

A knock on the door. "Risa?" Probably Riku, but she didn't care enough to identify the girl by voice. "Risa, can I come in?" Why did she bother to ask? It wasn't like there was a lock. "Are you awake?" Why did she keep talking if no one was responding? "I'm coming in."

The door swung open, and Risa was met with a surprise through the image in the mirror. Not Riku, not Riku at all, but "Ritsuko?" She hesitated, then turned in her chair to face her best friend. If no one else, she deserved to know what had happened, and what had become of her. Risa was rewarded with a look of shock and disbelief.

"Risa," she took a measured step forward, then was before Risa in an instant taking a cheek in one hand and tracing the lengthy wound with another, "Risa, your face!" Her finger followed the raised line and she stared at it in sick fascination. "What happened?"

Risa let her eyes fall to the floor. Ritsuko hadn't been in class that day, ditching. "Glass." Ritsuko's attention was drawn away from the scab and to Risa as a whole. "Yesterday, during gym–some Seniors had a fight next to a window. It–it broke." She pulled up the long sleeve on her right arm to illustrate the series of lines decorating the limb, and Ritsuko took it gingerly to feel those, too.

"Are you ok?" Ritsuko didn't take her gaze away from the cautiously healing arm.

"Well, it wasn't anything serious," feeling a little uncomfortable at all the attention Ritsuko was putting into this, she pulled her sleeve back down, obscuring the curious girl's view, "and it wasn't that much blood, so–"

"No, Risa," Ritsuko, genuinely worried, took hold of Risa's shoulders and forced her to look her eye to eye, "Are _you_ ok?"

Risa's eyes darted back and forth between those steady brown eyes. She knew what Ritsuko meant. "No." She let her head drop, resting her forehead on Ritsuko's shoulder, and confessed something she didn't want to admit to herself. "No, I'm not."

* * *

"Niwa-kun?" Daisuke opened his eyes and saw the starry skies, feeling cold and a little sore from whatever hard surface he'd been sleeping on. A bench. It was a concrete bench. Since when had he been taking a nap on the bench? He strained his mind to remember. "Why are you sleeping in the park?"

Daisuke sat up slowly and saw Riku. He gave a large grin, embarrassed at the situation as a whole. "I dunno. I guess I just fell asleep."

Riku shook her head. "You're so careless."

"Yeah," there was no arguing there. "What time is it?"

"Like–" she looked at her watch on the inside of her wrist "–twelve-thirty."

"Really?" Daisuke sat up a little straighter. Was it really that late? There was no way he'd find a place to stay at this hour. The thought that he might really have to sleep at the park frustrated him just a little. "What are you doing out so late?"

Riku shrugged. "Couldn't sleep." She sat next to him on that uncomfortable bench, feeling completely at ease being here with Daisuke, and not knowing why. There was a silence and Daisuke vaguely realized that he was hungry, but completely unmotivated to get himself something to eat. "You nap in the park often?"

"No," Daisuke pulled out his cell phone in a sudden thought and checked through his messages. "This is the first time." There were a couple new ones, mostly from Krad. It made him curious.

_Bored. You free later? - Krad_

_Niwa, have you seen Hiwatari? He hasn't picked up the phone. - Krad_

_Dai-chan mom wnts 2 no if u r comin ovr 4 dinnr its 6 - Dark_

_Does no one in Japan ever answer the phone? Went to Hiwatari's. No one is home. If you see him, tell me. - Krad_

Daisuke bit his bottom lip in worry. The last message had been received just an hour ago. "Riku-san, have you seen Hiwatari-kun?" She tilted her head in confusion. "Hikari-senpai says he went to his house and he's not home."

Riku furrowed her eyebrows. "He was still on campus when I finished track, but I haven't seen him since then." She frowned when Daisuke didn't respond. Instead, he quickly turned to his phone and started texting Krad back at a furious pace. "Niwa-kun?"

"I'm going to find him." Riku didn't like the worry and sense of urgency in Daisuke's voice. "I think I know where he is, and I'm going to find him." He pressed the send button and was up and gone before Riku could put in a word otherwise.

* * *

Tonight was the night. It had to be tonight. He was found out. He wouldn't get another chance. There was no other chance. No other way. He'd start now and be gone by morning, beyond returning. Frantically, Satoshi hopped onto the bench and on top of the row of lockers, sliding away a ceiling tile to reveal his stash of things. Always enough for one more night, but not any more. Nothing left–no food, no personal care items, only pictures and spare clothes and small reminders that he _had_ possessed emotion before–but no more.

He knew he had to hurry, before he changed his mind or someone had the sense to look for him here. '_Where is it?_' Finally, he came up with a pocket knife and didn't bother hiding his things away as he moved from the locker area to the showers. Once he had the water gushing full blast, switching from one extreme temperature to another of its own volition as it always did, the blond had a moment of stillness, of nothing, of doubting.

Somewhere in the back of his mind, he wondered if it would really hurt, if there was a chance of surviving, if anyone would really care when he was gone for good. A headline for a day, and a forgotten memory in another month. No one would remember. No one would care. No one. He had no one, he wanted no one, he was wanted by no one, he cared for no one, he was cared for by no one, he strived to be no one.

He would be one no longer.

Fully assured in his reasoning, he plunged the knife into the flesh of his arm, cutting through the fabric of his school uniform and only stopped ripping and tearing when he couldn't take any more and fell back on the wet tile floor, writhing in unanticipated agony, burning and freezing under the torrent, and trying not to scream with all his remaining power while the slick surface beneath him was dyed a glorious red.

* * *

Daisuke climbed easily over the front gate. It was late and the whole school was locked up, but he was worried. Had Satoshi really never left the campus? Was he still there? Was he in trouble? Something had told him that he was, and he couldn't just ignore the feeling.

As he picked the lock to the gymnasium, he reminded himself to thank Emiko later. It was only because of her that he even had an idea of what he was doing. The door popped open and Daisuke could hear the sound of running water. He cautiously made his way over to the locker rooms.

When he laid his eyes on the scene before him, he screamed and screamed and screamed.

* * *

Krad rolled over in his bed with a hiss as it aggravated his back. No good, he couldn't get comfortable at all. Besides, he had this terrible coldness in his stomach that told him something was wrong and it just wouldn't go away. He stared up at the ceiling with tired, blurry eyes and tried to discern just what that feeling was and found his mind to be terribly blank.

He tossed the sheets off himself, moved to the window, and stared out into the quiet night, trying to dismiss his instincts and finding he couldn't. He hadn't felt this way since the night before the day Hiwatari hadn't come to school and that fact in and of itself worried him more.

* * *

Daisuke held his head in his hands from the silence of the Waiting Room. Satoshi had been wheeled into surgery, where they were hurrying to get blood back into his system.

It had only been by chance he had even brought his cell phone, and it had taken three tries to hit the right numbers for the hospital. The ambulance had come quickly, and by then, Daisuke was pressing his jacket against the mutilated arm, hoping to at least slow the weakened bleeding. Later, he would be told that he had been sobbing the whole time, but Daisuke couldn't remember that at all, though it explained why his eyes hurt so much.

He remembered how cold Satoshi had been, how blue his skin had become, how slowly the shaky breaths had come. Daisuke felt nausea creep up the back of his throat, but he couldn't tear his mind away. He emptied the contents of his stomach in a waste basket, and a passing nurse rubbed soothing circles on his back while chittering on and on about something that was probably supposed to calm him down.

Daisuke didn't hear a word she said.

As he wiped his mouth, he noticed not only the fact that his clothes were still damp, but also the dark red stain on the front of his shirt, then the ones on his jeans and further down, his shoes. Bloodstains. Satoshi's blood.

Sickness washed over him and he thought he would retch again, but his cell phone went off, sounding strangely loud for the volume he remembered setting it on. A quick glance proved that it was on the quietest setting. So why was it deafening? He regarded the caller ID for a moment, debating on whether or not he should answer, but eventually, he decided he simply couldn't ignore it.

"H-hello?"

"_Daisuke!"_ As Daisuke had thought, it was Emiko on the other end._ "Where are you? It is almost midnight, young man! Do you know how worried I've been?"_

Had this been any other time, he would have been sputtering and defending himself by now, but not tonight. He was just too tired. "I'm sorry."

"_Daisuke? Are you alright, Honey?"_

Daisuke wondered how she could tell, and thought about what he should say. He could tell the truth, or he could lie. Of course, in order to be honest, he'd have to know for himself, and right now, he couldn't really tell. He took an unsteady breath and curled in on himself, still sitting on the floor by the wall, not even motivated enough to move to the slightly more comfortable chair. "No," it was then, he could hear how quiet and scared he sounded, and he understood why she had asked, "I guess I'm not."

* * *

A/N: Well, that's it for now. Drop me a review.


	17. Week Three, Friday: The Next Day

A/N: Sorry for the lateness. I was getting adjusted from cool and humid to dry and warm and caught a cold in the process. I'm getting back on track now, so we should be good for now. I think I've decided to split this story into two parts. As soon as this arc concludes, I'll mark this story as complete and start the next branch under a different name. I don't know what I'll call it yet.

Be on the look-out for a Halloween Special coming up within the next couple weeks, to make up for this chapter's shortness.

As for myself, I'm having a bit of trouble with the cell-phone company and what they say I should be charged. I am also looking for a job so I can continue my education in the Spring, but with the economy being as poor as it is, I can't picture myself getting any decent employment for the time-being. I think I'll just suck it up and take a couple part-time jobs for now.

I admit, I have been letting my other stories sit on the back-burner. I'll try to fix that ASAP. Again, just me being a dumb writer all over again. I know people like reading my stories, and yet I keep putting them off like this. Even my actual novels are all kind of stagnating. I think I understand why so many people can't do this professionally. Heh heh. I'm going to start thinking about posting my short stories at least up on a different site, so I can start getting my work more out there.

As for the comic-form of this story, the deal fell through. As I mentioned previously, I can be picky at times, and a highly childish form of cartooning is simply not what I was looking for. Sorry to all of you who were looking forward to it.

Well, that should be enough updates for now. Don't forget to leave me a review. On with the story!

* * *

Daisuke could hear the alarm go off in Dark's room and the subsequent crash that followed it. Morning. It was morning. More specifically, it was time to get up, and time to go to school. He hadn't noticed the scenery past the window get lighter with the sun's rising hours ago, and for some reason it didn't surprise him. It also didn't surprise him that he hadn't slept at all the night before.

A hand ran through his hair. His mother's hand. She'd come to that hospital in the middle of the night, and just held him. She'd held him and held him until the hospital staff had finally kicked them out, and they went home, and she held him more. And she was still holding him, awake with him, and holding back tears with him long past when both should have been asleep.

"You don't have to go to school today, Honey." Her voice was gentle and tired like the hand that ran through his hair whenever she felt he might have forgotten she was still here.

Daisuke shook his head and buried his head in her shoulder for a moment, hoping the movement would wake him up more. "No, I should." He felt Emiko's arms tighten around him and heard her heart beating. "If I don't, I'll only think about Hiwatari-kun."

Emiko smoothed his hair back again and kissed his forehead. "Ok, Baby." She let Daisuke separate himself from her. "Good luck in class today." It was all she could think to say. Wishing for a good day might just be raising her own hopes too high.

Daisuke nodded and left to change, doing his best not to wake Dark in the process.

* * *

Riku was the second to enter the class for the first time in a long time, but the fact that Niwa was there, alone, laying his head on the desk and not moving unnerved her. Where was Hiwatari? "Niwa-kun, are you ok?" He didn't even jump like he usually would. She walked around to the other side of the desk where she could see his face clearly as he stared out into space. "Niwa-kun?" He blinked. "Where's Hiwatari?"

Sluggishly, Daisuke shifted so his weight was resting on the other cheek. "He's out sick," he said at length. Riku could tell immediately that it was a lie, but didn't press it any further.

* * *

Krad rolled over to see his phone flashing at him. One new message. _I think I know where he might be. I'll go check right now. - Daisuke_

Krad sent a reply and waited and waited, but the answer to his question never came.

* * *

"Niwa-kun," the teacher began, aggravated when she noticed the red-head wasn't paying attention. "Somebody wake him–"

"He's not feeling well today, Sensei," Riku interjected. All eyes turned to her except for those of the red-head zonked out in the back row. "I think there's something going around. Hiwatari and Risa are also out sick."

"Very well, then." Riku felt those critical eyes turn away. "I'll let him rest."

* * *

Riku found herself only able to watch Daisuke stare at nothing all class, disappear during lunch, then come back very late, only to ignore life itself for the rest of school. When the final bell rang, he didn't even have to pack up, and brisked out, in more of a hurry than she'd ever seen him in her entire life. Forgetting her things, she ran after him, knowing he'd be heading out the front gates.

She finally caught sight of him again when they were in the courtyard. "Niwa-kun!" He didn't hear her. "Niwa-kun!" He kept walking, ignoring everything. "Niwa-kun, wait." She caught his sleeve and he slowed to a stop, not acknowledging her any more than he had to, and Riku wondered what was so wrong. "What's going on?"

"It's nothing," he muttered quickly.

"It isn't nothing," Riku admonished, growing hysterical. Everyone was leaving. Dark and Krad were suspended. Risa never left her room. Hiwatari was absent. Now, Niwa would only barely recognize her existence. "What's wrong? Where's Hiwatari?"

"Leave me alone." There was an emotion there, but Riku didn't know what it was, and it only made her more frantic.

"This isn't like you, Niwa-kun! What's going on?"

Daisuke visibly flinched. "I said leave me alone, Harada-san!"

_SMACK_

Riku took quick, unsteady breaths as she let her hand suspend in the air as both it and Daisuke's cheek turned red. She hit him. She couldn't believe it and she didn't even know why, but she hit him. "Don't call me that!" It was all Daisuke's fault. Everything. She told herself that and believed herself. "I'm Riku, ok? I am not Risa! We're different, ok? She's Risa. I'm Riku! Ri-ku!" Daisuke didn't move. Nobody in the courtyard moved.

It was then Riku realized Daisuke was shaking.

"Niwa-kun?"

Riku didn't know what happened until it was over. Daisuke had shoved past her and walked the rest of the way off campus. One by one, everyone in sight resumed whatever it was they were doing, with the added bonus of a new set of rumors starting up. Riku could hear every whisper as the people brushed past. Riku stood in the center of the yard for a long time, and when she was finally alone, she turned back to the gate.

But there was nobody there.

* * *

Krad found himself staring across the train at a man that only came up to his armpit, just about done with humanity altogether. He knew it was Japan's national pass-time to stare long and hard at foreigners, but this guy was taking it a little far. He was actually glaring all the way across the car, seemingly trying to intimidate him off the train.

Krad stood taller and hardened his face, staring the shorter native down. He was rather sick of all the staring and whispering and people talking about him as if he lacked ears. Why couldn't Japan as a whole find something else to do with their lives? Krad himself had a few suggestions of what they could do as opposed to eyeing everyone that looked any different.

This guy in particular could go jump off a bridge.

The man across the train sneered, as if Krad had caused some great offense. The blond rolled his eyes and flipped the bird, using a phrase he had picked up from Dark. "_Kutabare_." Seeing the look on the glaring man's face–and those of all the other passengers in the car for that matter–when he suggested none too kindly that he roll over and die satisfied Krad enough that he was through with his game and changed cars. Thankfully, not many people here seemed very interested, and returned to staring blankly out of windows, reading, and texting.

Of course, not many never quite translated to all.

"Hikari-senpai?"

Krad's eyes moved in the direction of the voice, rather hoping it wasn't one of those fan girls he had accumulated. He wasn't quite sure what level of irritation he had to achieve before he murdered one of them, but he decided not to test it. Luckily, she wasn't a fan girl at all. "Oh, hello Riku. Not running today?"

Riku swayed as the train rocked unexpectedly. "No, I'm trying to get home to Risa. She's not doing well."

"_Tsugi wa Asagaya. Asagaya desu. O-deguchi wa migi-gawa desu. Okyaku-sama ni onegai itashimasu. Densha wa jikobôshi no tame, yamu wo ezu kyûteisha suru koto ga arimasu node, o-tachi no okyaku-sama, o-chikaku no tsurikawa, tesuri ni otsukamari-kudasai."_

"Oh," Krad voiced lamely, not knowing what to say.

"Hiwatari wasn't in school today, either." This caught Krad's attention. "Niwa was out of it all day, and when I finally got to talk to him, he–he just wasn't himself." The train rocked again.

"_**The next station is Asagaya. The doors on the right side will open. It may be necessary for the train to stop suddenly, to prevent an accident, so please be careful.**"_

"He seems to be very worried about something, and I think it has to do with Hiwatari, but no one will tell me what's going on." She began to talk more hurriedly, urgently, and Krad inwardly wondered if she was about to cry. "So–so if you know anything, please, just–"

"No one's told me anything, either." The words didn't seem to calm her down much, but at least she wasn't continuing on the path to hysteria anymore. "I'm sure everything's alright, but I'll stop by Hiwatari's later today and call you if I learn something." Riku nodded and stared at the ground. "Thank you for telling me. I would have never found out otherwise."

Riku put on a plastic smile, but Krad found himself grateful for it. "Yeah, no problem."

* * *

Daisuke sat in that empty waiting room with his headphones on. Nobody else's life was in peril, but he knew it would be like that. Nothing exciting ever happened in Tôkyô. No one else ever got hurt. It seemed the hospital only existed for Daisuke and his friends, and for now, it was ok.

The song changed, and Daisuke mouthed the words he didn't understand, even though Satoshi had spent so much time teaching him the language. He was a failure, and he knew it. It was ok, so long as Satoshi would get better.

But for now, the boy didn't even wake up.

_Don't chain down affection_

_Awaken a new feeling_

_Don't benumb emotion_

_Scream a primal scream_

_Let loose every feeling from joy to grief_

So Daisuke sat there, listening to Tropical Gorilla turn into the Beatles and missing his best friend. And he didn't even know what he was singing.

_Go against the headwind_

_Ride on the tail wind_

_Get this in your head_

_How do you play?_

_Follow your brainstorm._

* * *

Krad found himself staring down the front door of Satoshi's house from the other side of the white picket fence in an emotion he couldn't recognize. It felt like hesitation and tasted like premonition. Whatever it was, it was just intimidating enough to keep him from crossing onto the Hiwatari property. _**Krad, you idiot. It's a house.**_ Satisfied in his reasoning that there was no reason to fear a house, he walked up to the front door with as much confidence as he could muster and rang the bell.

The door swung open and revealed the smiling face of Hiwatari Kei. "Ah, Hikari-kun, how are you doing this fine afternoon?"

Krad felt a chill go down his spine. "I am well, sir. Is Hiwatari-kun at home?"

Something changed in the moment between Krad's words and Kei's response–something that made Krad's mouth go dry, and yet he couldn't tell why. "I am afraid he has fallen ill and cannot see anyone at the moment. Why don't you call upon him another time?"

"Yes, sir." Krad backed away. "Sorry to bother you at home. Please be sure to send Hiwatari-kun my best wishes."

"I shall. Good day, Hikari-kun."

"Good day, sir."

The door shut and Krad knew damn well that if Satoshi was in that house, he was never coming out again.

* * *

_Ring ring ring_

He groaned.

_Ring ring ring_

He moaned.

_Ring ring ring_

Saga rolled over, wishing his cell phone a slow painful death. Didn't it know he was sleeping? Now was time for beddy-bye land, here covered in a mountain of blankets and buried deep within his stuffed animal fort in the back of the van. Far, far away from the real world and _asleep_, dammit.

_Ring ring ring_

"Sir."

"Alright, alright!" He climbed out over Mr. Snuggles and grabbed up his phone, checking the caller ID and smiling. It was time to harass Krad. "Hello, Schmuckums."

"_**Saga, I need you to find out when the last time anyone saw Hiwatari enter or leave his house was. Priority one.**"_

Saga was much more awake than he had been before. "**Wha'? Hiwatari? But that's just****–****!**"

"_**Saga, it's important.**"_

Keiji ran a hand through his hair in an effort to get his thoughts together as he pushed his laptop closer to himself with his foot. Funabashi glanced over his shoulder for half a second, taking his eyes off the road just long enough to give Saga a silent message. "**Alright, but only because ya sound really panicked. Don't expect me t' do this shit for ya in the future.**"

"_**Thanks, Saga.**"_

"**Yeah, yeah.**" He cut the call and laid his phone down on the floor next to him. "Funa-chan, I've got a robot t' find."

Funabashi nodded and Saga turned on his wireless connection. It was going to be a longer night than he had thought.

* * *

A/N: Yeah, not as exciting nor as long as recent chapters. It's all winding down from here. Leave me a review, as your constant harrassment - well, not harrassment, since I really do like receiving them, but my internal thesaurus is glitchy today - is what reminds me that I still need to write new chapters!


	18. Week Three, Weekend: Exit the Thief

A/N: If things run the way I planned them, this will be the second-to-last chapter of this arc. The Halloween Special is half-done, but since this was completely finished, I decided to post it up for everyone tonight before I leave tomorrow morning. Um, I know I haven't been responding to reviews a lot lately, and all the excuses I come up with are rather stupid, considering I obviously still have the time to churn out a chapter and that. Responding to reviews is what I'll be working on this week, so leave me one and I'll do my best to come up with a response for it. (Disclaimer: if all I can come up with is a simple "thanks", I have a bad habit of not responding at all. Reviews with content are reviews that are easy to respond to. Strike up a conversation for best results.)

My other stories? Who said anything about other stories? (nervous laughter)

Um, I'll be spending the weekend in San Diego to go to Sea World. If anyone's in the area, feel free to try and find me. I'll probably be with my family, which consist of an older brother, younger sister, younger brother, mother, and father. None of us look like we are as old as we really are. I'll probably be wearing an orange hoodie and blue beanie. Say hi if you like. I'd feel really popular as a writer and focus more. (end of sad attempt at bribery)

This chapter is a two-day installment, and while I feel it is full in and of itself, I also feel like I am cheating somehow. Maybe I want more to happen in each day? I don't know. It's a writer-thing, I guess.

Well, enough stalling and word-count padding. On with the story!

* * *

_Running. He didn't think he had ever done so much running in his entire life. Not in gym class, not in training, and most certainly not in the middle of the night. He caught a branch on his arm and it stung, but he didn't think he was bleeding, and even if he was it was unimportant right now._

_There was shouting and running behind him, further back than it had been before, but still there._

_He screwed up and he knew it._

"You will be arrested."

_The voice of Hiwatari echoed in his mind._

"You do understand that, right?"

"_I will _not_ be arrested," he ground out between his teeth. He refused to go out like this, run down by middle-aged men in the woods. Not when he was so close._

_He broke through the last stand of trees and found the slope a lot quicker than he thought he would, sliding down it half-sitting, half gliding, and landing running until he just short of leapt into the back of the patiently waiting brown van._

"_Dark?"_

_The sound of the ignition turning._

"_Go!" He sounded panicked to even his own ears._

_The tires squealed then grabbed the ground all at once to send them jolting forward, but Funabashi kept the vehicle under control._

_The police arrived in their dust, but Dark didn't see._

_He didn't want to look back at the squinty-eyed man that had been waiting for him that night._

* * *

Krad didn't even bother with good-mornings and being friendly as he called up Saga. "**Did you find anything?**"

He could hear the sounds of a car in the background as well as the radio buzzing as they started to leave the range of the station they were listening to. "**We didn' come up with when the last time anyone saw him go home was, but we did find something else ya might find very interesting.**" Krad sat backwards in his chair, waiting for Saga to continue. "**We tried trackin' him through town on security cameras before he disappeared, and we found that he was still on campus at ten-forty-five two nights ago. Then, suddenly, the rest of the tape is blank until the morning after, and there is no footage of Hiwatari leavin'.**"

Krad frowned. Something did happen, and Saga didn't want to mention it outright. "**Did you check anywhere else?**"

He heard Saga sigh. "**Yeah, we found him.**"

"**Where?**" Krad stood too suddenly and excitedly, and Keiji on the other end of the line thought for a minute there had been an earthquake where Krad was. Saga ran a hand through his hair and frowned.

"**You won't like it.**"

* * *

Krad navigated the stark, white halls with more ease than he felt he should have. The room was too easy to find. Maybe it was because the rooms were in an order that made sense, or maybe he just somehow knew where to go, but either way, it wasn't a comfortable feeling. Maybe he'd feel better if someone were leading him, but no. Instead they'd given him a room number, and suddenly, he just knew how to get there.

It was truly an eerie feeling.

He rounded one final corner and knew he really was headed the right direction when he saw Niwa and his bright red hair interrupting the vastness of the white and doors from his seat curled up on the floor. "Niwa-kun?"

Daisuke started, looking up slowly with disbelieving eyes. "Hikari-senpai?" He rubbed at them, but Krad was still too far away to tell if he had been sleeping or crying. He didn't want to know. "What are you doing here?"

Krad shook his head impatiently. "What am I—I'm here to see Hiwatari-kun."

Daisuke flinched and Krad wondered if it had something to do with the anger and hurt that had leaked into his voice. "He hasn't waken up."

* * *

Emiko continued to pace around in worry. Dark hadn't come home last night after the heist. The only word she had was a hurried call over Dark's cell phone from the inside of some vehicle with someone else shouting in the background. _"Mom. Listen, I don't have a lot of time before my battery dies. I guess I'm not as great a thief as I thought I'd be. Heh heh. I'm ok__–__I'm not hurt and we lost the cops a while ago, but I think I need to get out of town for a bit. I'll call you when I can, ok? I love—"_

The call had been dropped then and no matter how many times Emiko tried to call back, it always went straight to voice-mail. She hadn't slept after that and tried to call back periodically, just in case Dark had managed to charge his phone, but she wasn't able to reach him.

The phone rang.

Emiko scrambled to pick it up. "Hello? Dark-honey, is that you?"

"_Yeah, it's me. How are you?"_

She swallowed past the lump in her throat. He was ok. She wouldn't cry. "I didn't sleep last night, baby. I was so worried about you."

"_Sorry about that."_

"No, thank you for telling me." She didn't want to waste time apologizing. She still had fears clouding her mind. "Are you ok? You're not calling from jail, are you?"

"_No, I'm at a pay-phone in some little town. We stopped to eat for a bit before we get going again."_

"Where will you go?"

"_I'm thinking about heading up North for a bit. Maybe catch a boat to the mainland or a plane out to America."_

"_Dark, we have to go!" _Emiko frowned. She recognized the voice in the background. Were Dark's friends in trouble, too?

"_Ok, ok!"_

"Are your friends going with you?"

"_Nah. They're getting me as far as the next town before they have to go back. But he's letting me borrow some money, so I'll be ok. If nothing else, I can still hook up with a band or something."_

"Ok." Emiko smiled, proud that her son was looking a little bit ahead. "You do what you have to, ok? Be safe." Her voice cracked and she chastised herself. She would not cry. "I love you."

"_I love you, too, mom. Bye."_

"Bye."

She laid the phone down and the entire house felt too quiet and empty. Dark was gone. Her baby had left the house, maybe for good, and all she had was her house and the son she didn't have the proper rights to see who stayed over every once in a while. She couldn't hold back any more and she sunk to the ground and cried.

* * *

Krad sat by Satoshi's bedside, only still there because he had intimidated the last nurse away between his being tall and foreign, and pretending not to know any Japanese. She was probably out looking for someone to translate at that very moment so he could know visiting hours were over, but then he could pretend not to know any English. Yes, that would definitely throw them for a loop, wouldn't it?

He wasn't here to confuse the hospital staff, though. No, he was here for the stupid idiot that refused to wake up. "**You goddamn moron.**" Krad hoped Satoshi could hear him in his sleep, because the kid really needed to know just how stupid such a stunt had been. "**Just what were you trying to do, huh? Trying to leave me all by myself, huh? Did you think about that? You should have told me your dad was some evil, sadistic bastard instead of pulling shit like this.**" Krad wanted to punch someone–anyone–but the only person available was hurt enough already, so he settled for punishing the hospital bed instead. "**Fucking ass-hole.**"

He could hear chattering outside the door and identified one of the voices as Niwa. He was probably arguing with the nurse about how much longer he could stay, or maybe he was covering for Krad. He didn't care enough to listen. Japanese just didn't matter any more.

No, what did matter was the boy in the bed and what Krad could do for him at this point in the game.

"_Anou,_ **it is no moa visit taim.**"

Krad shook his head, feeling a strange grin creep across his face as he stood. "**Ok, I'll go.**" He knew exactly what he wanted to do. He was going to have to put Saga's number on speed-dial someday. That crazy bastard could sure be useful.

* * *

When Daisuke returned home, instead of finding his mother up waiting for him, he found the house to be dark and quiet. There were still magazines laying on the coffee table and a half-evaporated cup of tea sitting on the table next to the phone, which was half-off the cradle.

"Mom?"

The house didn't respond and Daisuke made his way up the stairs carefully and without setting off the stair that always, always squeaked. "Mom? Dark?"

He peaked in his room to find it devoid of his older brother and approached Emiko's room softly. He knocked on her door twice then opened it just wide enough for him to see in. "Mom?"

"Daisuke-Sweetie," her voice was groggy and worn. What had she been doing? "Is that you?"

Daisuke let himself in the rest of the way. "Yeah, it's me."

"Come here, baby." Daisuke made his way over and the closer he got to her sitting form, the more exhausted she seemed to be. For the first time, Daisuke realized that his mother was not as young as she seemed. The moment he sat on the bed, he was enveloped in her arms and she held on securely.

"Mom?" She made a hushing sound and buried her face in his hair, and Daisuke was at a loss of what to do. So, he held her back quietly, not asking anything else and not moving.

Just when Daisuke started to wonder if she was going to never let go, she loosened her hold and laid a kiss in his hair. "Thank you, Angel." He had a feeling she wanted to cry, and for some reason couldn't. It worried him.

"Mom, are you ok?"

Emiko smiled a very tired smile in the darkness and loneliness of that two-story cookie-cutter house. "Dark's gone away for a bit, Dear. I'm afraid he won't be back for quite a while."

Daisuke let this sink in for a bit. "Is he ok?"

"Yes, he's fine." She raised her hand absently to smooth her hair. "But I'm still worried about him."

Daisuke didn't know what he was supposed to say in this sort of situation, or what he even should say, so he only said what his mind came up with and nothing more. "I'm sure he'll be alright. I mean—you taught him everything, right?"

Emiko gave a sigh that sounded like it was trying to be a laugh, but she was just way too tired to make it one. "I did, didn't I." She reached up and ruffled Daisuke's hair gently, running her hand through it down to his chin. It felt exactly like her own. "Thank you, darling. I love you."

"I love you, too, Mom."

* * *

Satoshi opened his eyes to darkness. No, not darkness, but a very dim room, lit only by outdoor street lamps and passing cars. It was an unfamiliar place and the fog in his mind was so thick, he wondered how he had waken up at all. He just wanted some more sleep.

As he laid there and allowed his mind to wake some more, he noticed his entire body felt odd. There was an odd detachment from everything that reminded him of the time he got his wisdom teeth removed, and how that anesthetic had felt. He was not in his normal clothes at all, but something unfamiliar and slightly uncomfortable. The fabric on his arm felt different though, and it almost felt like there was something sticking out of it.

He glanced down and frowned. There was something sticking out of it. An IV? Why would he–?

Slow realization flooded over him and he moved his free arm to cover his eyes. He'd failed. He was a failure, and now he was sure everyone knew about it. There was no way this sort of secret could be kept from the class for long. If he wasn't ruined before, he damn sure was now.

And what would his father do about all this?

These thoughts circulated his mind until he exhausted himself and the next thing he knew, he was waking to the light of day and not alone at all. He couldn't tell for sure whose head it was resting on his mattress without his glasses, but there was no doubt in his mind who it was. Who else did he know with bright red hair? "Niwa?"

Curiously, he reached out and just barely brushed Daisuke's arm with the tips of his fingers, not even sure if he'd even touched him at all, and Daisuke began to stir. He rubbed his face in his arms, maybe trying to rub the sleep out of them and maybe trying to fall back to sleep, but he was fully conscious the moment he turned to Satoshi.

"Hiwatari-kun!" Satoshi was so startled he actually jumped, withdrawing his hand even closer to himself than he already had. "You're awake! How are you feeling? How long have you been up? Are you doing ok? Does it–?"

Satoshi didn't have the patience for the constant questioning and cut the redhead off. "Niwa-kun, I'm fine." He wasn't sure if it was a lie or not. His mind was still stuck in a fog. He suspected that he was on so many medications that he wasn't supposed to be able to think. The fact that he was able to figure out so much meant he would surely be given more soon.

"Hiwatari-kun," Daisuke began worriedly, "you're not ok. You–you're in a hospital." Satoshi turned toward a window. He didn't have to acknowledge that. "I–is it my fault?"

Satoshi didn't really want to say something in reply to that, either, but leaving it at that felt like he was committing a great wrong. "It's not your fault, Niwa-kun."

"Then–was it always like that?" Daisuke's question caught his attention and he peeked at him from the corner of his eye. Daisuke played with the fabric of the hospital covers absently. "I mean–with whatever was going on–with your dad, right? Was it always like that?"

"No, it wasn't." Satoshi rested his chin in his good hand. "I messed up." Daisuke couldn't believe what he was hearing and Satoshi mistook his silence for a silent plea for him to continue. "My dad thought I was involved with the heists, and I didn't do anything to prove I wasn't. If this is anyone's fault, it's mine."

"How can you think that?" Daisuke was standing suddenly, and Satoshi wondered why he felt so intimidated. "What do you mean it was your fault? You didn't make him–make him do that to you! What he did–it's wrong!"

"Niwa-kun." Satoshi felt they had a conversation that had run like this before.

"And just because he thought you were involved with the heists?"

"Niwa-kun." He remembered winning that argument, and losing that fight.

"There's something wrong with him–!"

He would not lose again. "Niwa!" Satoshi refused to look at him. He didn't know why, but he felt so angry, and he was afraid that if he actually looked at Niwa, he really would hit him. "I get it, ok? You don't have to yell. We're in a hospital, remember?"

All of the fight seemed to flee from Daisuke in a single moment, and Satoshi took that as a sign of his victory. "Sorry." Daisuke sat at the edge of the bed, picking at the fabric again, and Satoshi realized for the first time just how busy Daisuke's hands always were. "You're gonna be ok, right? I mean–with your dad and–and that."

Satoshi waited just long enough that it would seem to be a definitive answer. "Yeah." He honestly didn't know, but that wasn't something Daisuke didn't need to know. He could see the lack of sleep in the boy in one glance. He would not do anything to worry him more.

* * *

Krad half-walked, half-jogged down the stark white hospital halls. He would have arrived earlier if the driver would stop insisting on staying within the legal speed limits. Laws could wait; Satoshi was more important, didn't he understand that?

He decided he'd just have to press the point harder next time, or at least find a way around it later, as he reached the room they'd been keeping Satoshi in. Quietly, he opened the door to find Daisuke swinging his legs from his seat on the edge of the bed, staring down at Satoshi with a serenity Krad didn't expect him to have. "How's Hiwatari-kun?"

Daisuke didn't start, he'd already known Krad was there. "He's sleeping." He could tell Krad new the difference as he saw him relax just inside the room. "The nurse came in and had him take a couple pills. She asked him some questions, and he just fell back asleep."

Krad shook his head, relieved, as he let himself in, checking Satoshi's temperature with his hand though he didn't know why. "He must be exhausted." His hand moved from the forehead and ruffled Satoshi's hair, feeling a fondness for him that he didn't know he had. Without saying a word, he jotted down a quick note in English and left a cell phone on the bed-stand. "Come on, Niwa-kun. We should let him rest."

Daisuke looked confused for a minute, then followed quietly out the door. He let the silence reign as they started down the hallway, but gave up on it when they entered the elevator. "Is this ok? You didn't get to say hi to him or anything."

"It's fine," Krad muttered, barely paying any attention at all. Recently, it seemed nothing could hold his attention for long, and it got him thinking—at least, as long as he could hold the thought before he drifted around to something else. He ran a hand down his face, suddenly feeling very tired. "Niwa-kun, would you like to stay at my place tonight?"

* * *

Hiwatari Kei looked over the reports with a critical eye, gaging the worth of the facts recorded within the pages. His son was not the thief, and he knew from the beginning he was not. No, the thief seemed to be one Tanaka Taro, or so the records said. He knew there was no Tanaka Taro. Someone was tampering with the files. Someone knew they were onto the real perpetrator and edited all the information stored about him.

This Tanaka Taro had no family, or so the records stated, no place of residence, and no living kin. He had falsified birth records claiming him to be the exact twin of Kei himself. All this meant to him was that the person who changed the records both knew that Kei would be checking them and had some sense of humor.

Kei did not find humor in the fact that when he did a record check on his son, he was also listed with no parents or guardians—a ward of the State. This was troublesome, but also very helpful. The person with access to the public and private records was either familiar with Satoshi or trying to make Kei's life very difficult.

Kei guessed it was both.

He smirked from behind his coffee cup and reclined in his chair, feeling very amused for the first time in a while. It was time to check up on his little prodigy.

"It seems things are finally getting interesting."

* * *

Daisuke laid still, staring up at the ceiling. Satoshi was alive. He was acting a little more like normal—well, as normal as he could expect him to act. He was a little relieved that Satoshi was acting even the slightest bit off, because that meant that some part of the whole thing was affecting him, hopefully for the better.

He felt Krad shift to his right. The blonde had been fitful ever since he had finally drifted off to sleep. He muttered something highly slurred and probably in English Daisuke couldn't even begin to understand and shifted again, turning toward Daisuke. The redhead was not surprised in the least to find Krad's hand clutching at the sheets above his stomach. Somehow, it made a lot of sense to him that Krad would be a snuggler.

A phone buzzed on the nightstand beside the bed and Daisuke reached for it drowsily, and automatically checked the messages, only then realizing the phone wasn't his.

_**Documents acquired. Faxing tonight. --Crazy Moron**_

Daisuke raised an eyebrow, trying to sound out the words in his mind, not recognizing any of them. After thinking for several minutes on the topic, he still didn't understand, and decided he wouldn't at that rate, and set the phone back on the table he fetched it from, trying hard not to disturb Krad and possibly encourage more snuggling. He was a good friend, but he still didn't want to be more uncomfortable than he already was.

* * *

A/N: Well, I hope it was interesting enough. Some of these were written in the middle of the night, and I only self-Beta my stories, so any typos that are here are a result of that. I didn't really go over what I did this time around, so what you have is sort of like the first draft after spell-check grabs a hold of it. If there are any blaring errors, I'll gladly correct them. Drop me a review and don't forget to look for me tomorrow, and I think maybe Saturday? I don't actually know. Family is bad at the whole planning thing and all. Maybe that's where I get it from, I dunno.

And... I'm babbling. Reviews, yeah. Reviews are nice. See you next chapter!


	19. Week Four: Conclusion

A/N: Yeah, I know this is seriously delayed. Let's just say times have been rough on me recently. I have dealt with the people that posted that notice on my profile. If you saw it, please know that there is nothing to worry about and that I'm doing well - if nothing else, pissed that certain people would actually spend so much time figuring out my password to do that.

Anyway, this will be the concluding chapter of this arc of A Day in the Life. I know it is criminally short, but something's better than nothing? Maybe? I suppose. Kinda... Ok, so it's a really weak excuse, but I could've dropped it altogether.

I will be considerably slower in producing new chapters for a while, I'm afraid. My living conditions are not exactly good for my creative writing time. Hopefully this will improve, and not get worse.

And I want to apologize here and now for not responding to reviews as I should. I am really working to change that bad habit of mine in the future.

Enough of my bitching, on with the story!

* * *

Krad woke up when he felt movement to his side. At first, he was surprised that his bed was shifting at all, but memory returned quickly and he cracked open his eyes groggily at the red-head getting up from bed. "Just what are you doing at—" he glanced at the digital clock staring at him from the bed-stand "—six in the morning?"

Daisuke rubbed his eyes, trying to wake himself up more. "I gotta go to school."

Krad shook his head, rolling over to lay stomach-down. "It's ok to miss a day once in a while."

Daisuke seemed to think about it for a minute. "No, I have to be there to tell everyone Hiwatari-kun's still sick. Otherwise, they might find out what happened." Krad just buried his face in the pillow in response. "I'll go see Hiwatari-kun right after school; if I can get some copies, I'll bring the notes and everything he missed."

"I really don't think he'll feel like doing homework," Krad muttered.

"I know, but maybe we could get them done together." Krad poked his head out from the pillow and looked straight at Niwa, knowing he was probably really frumpy from sleep, and not caring. "I'd do it myself, but I'm a little worried about my answers being wrong."

Krad just curled up tighter in bed. "When you get downstairs, tell Higashino you need a ride. He'll drive you." Daisuke thanked him and left, but Krad never heard, as he was already asleep again.

* * *

Krad woke for the second time when his cell phone went off. He had more than half a mind to tell off whoever it was that was calling him for waking him up at—ten in the morning. Ok, maybe it was a reasonable time of day. Besides, he actually wouldn't mind speaking with the person on the other end of the line.

"Good morning, Satoshi-kun."

"**Why?**" It didn't sound like Satoshi was up for elaborating this morning, and Krad didn't mind it so much. He knew he was talking about the phone. Instead, he busied around getting changed into decent clothes.

"**You needed one.**" Satoshi didn't reply on the other side other than to give an exasperated sigh. "**I was having too much trouble getting a hold of you when it was important, and now that problem is solved.**"

Krad pictured Satoshi shaking his head on the other end of the phone. "**Hikari-senpai, I don't need this.**"

"**Nobody needs a phone,**" Krad reasoned.

"**Exactly**." That made Krad frown. "**I will not accept this. I don't care what kind of money your family makes, I don't want you giving me these kinds of gifts.**"

Krad almost tripped as he finished pulling on a pair of jeans. This was not going as planned. "**Why don't we talk about this when I get to your room? Then you can explain to me your little phone-phobia as much as you like.**"

Satoshi was quiet on the other end of the line, and for a second Krad interpreted it as blatant refusal until he heard Satoshi mutter "**I do not have a phone-phobia**" before hanging up. Krad grinned and finished dressing in a hurry. This was going to be a lot easier than he thought it would be.

* * *

Daisuke sat through class in what felt like a large bubble. No one approached him and no one was approached by him. The teacher's words were almost an incomprehensible garble, and he knew nothing was going to get much more coherent.

He'd caught Riku staring at him more than once during the lecture with a pensive look on her face. It made sense after he thought about the last time he'd seen her. He felt she should feel sorry, and felt bad immediately afterward for thinking so.

That didn't mean he was going to make amends.

Sure he had been acting off, but she didn't have to react like that, either. When he thought about it that way, it really was all her fault.

So Daisuke propped his chin up in the palm of his hand and pretended the teacher made any sense so that he could at least claim to have had a rewarding day at school.

* * *

Krad arrived at the hospital and proceeded to ignore the phone topic from the very beginning, instead launching into normal conversation and staying far, far away from the subject of just why Satoshi was in the hospital in the first place. If they didn't talk about it, then he could pretend nothing had happened. He could pretend, and he wouldn't get angry, and they could just talk like they did on normal days when it was just the two of them.

It worked until they were interrupted by a short conversation just outside the door. A pair of shadows fell on the window, one of which anyone could identify as a nurse with her work cap on. The other was male by voice and height, with short hair and what looked to be glasses. Krad narrowed his eyes and stood from his chair but Satoshi failed to so much as budge. There were two knocks on the door and it swung open.

Krad forced himself to relax as Hiwatari Kei appeared in the doorway. Kei didn't miss a beat. "**Oh, good afternoon, Hikari-kun.**" The afternoon was anything but good. "**It's such a pleasant coincidence to run into you here.**" Kei's face said the coincidence was anything but pleasant.

"**Good afternoon, Mr. Hiwatari.**" Krad didn't move from his spot.

Kei smiled and Krad felt the coldness of it deep in his spine. "**If you don't mind, I'd like to have a word with my son, alone.**"

Krad didn't bat an eye. If he left now, there'd be consequences. He didn't know what they were, but they wouldn't be positive. He stood his ground in the narrow walkway, feeling Satoshi's eyes on his back. "**Satoshi is not your son, sir.**"

Kei's smile froze as his eyes swept over to Satoshi. His blue eyes dropped to the bed, not wishing to partake in this argument. "**I'm sure I don't know what you are talking about, Hikari-kun.**"

Krad could only hope Saga had done his job. "**Then perhaps you should check your records, sir. You have no parental rights over Satoshi.**" The smile fell and Krad felt one growing on his own face. He had thrown Kei off his game. That alone was a small victory in his mind. "**Should he refuse to see you, you would have no further business here, sir.**"

The nurse poked her head in the door questioningly, as if having sensed a conflict growing from wherever she had been stationed. "Excuse me, may I be of assistance?"

Krad glanced over at Satoshi and the latter knew exactly what he was supposed to do. He didn't know what was going on, but it didn't matter. He didn't want to see Kei right now, and maybe Krad's words were the truth. He could test them now, and he did so tentatively. "I do not wish to see Hiwatari-san at this time. Would you please see that he is able to exit the building?"

The nurse smiled. "Of course, dear. This way, please."

Kei gave half a laugh, conceding this battle for now. "I will see you later–" it was a promise, a threat, and both boys knew it "–Satoshi." He allowed himself to be lead out and there was no doubt in Satoshi's mind that he would be back.

The door shut with less finality than Satoshi had hoped, but it was enough for now. "**What did you mean when you said all that? You know Hiwatari adopted me a long time ago**."

"**Are you sure? I thought for sure the records said you were a ward of the State**." Krad sat back down in his chair, feeling tired through his triumph.

Satoshi shook his head, only able to come up with the conclusion that Krad had gone insane if he hadn't been so before. "**I've seen the adoption papers, Krad. I should know whether he is my legal father or not.**"

"**That Saga bastard sure is useful.**"

Satoshi stared for the longest time. Was Saga capable of so much? Where did Krad even get the idea to ask him? Was Saga able to go through with it? Was the whole thing a bluff? What about the hard copies? "**Hiwatari will figure it out. If he can't reverse it, he'll just adopt me again.**"

"**Not without your consent, he can't.**" Somehow, the statement sounded like a warning, and Krad felt bad about it. "**Besides, what if you already had another family?**"

Satoshi sat up a little straighter. "**Krad?**"

"**I've been needing a little brother and my father would really hate for the business to end with him.**" Krad stared out the window, watching the birds fly by in the last rays of the sun. "**My dad already has the papers. I just need to convince him to sign them. ****Of course, he can only adopt you if you want him to. You can remain an orphan if that's what you really want.**"

Satoshi didn't say anything to that at all. He didn't know what to say.

* * *

When Daisuke finally made his way off campus, he found somebody waiting for him there. It was someone he knew with hair and eyes like his, but darker and older; someone who seemed to have grown to impossible heights that Daisuke could never hope to achieve; someone who had never come by to pick him up from school on a positive note before.

Daisuke fidgeted with his backpack. This couldn't bode well. "Dad?"

The man looked less tired than he had been last time he'd seen him, but only just barely. However, the smile was less forced, and the way he waved his hand with a genial 'yo' just made Daisuke feel that much more relaxed. They walked together in silence until they reached a bench in the park, and both sat knowing that was what the other wanted. Daisuke tried to convince himself that it wasn't because he was just like his father. "How've you been? Have you been doing ok?"

"I'm fine." It was an obvious lie, and Kosuke picked up on it.

"You sure?" He put one of his large hands in Daisuke's mass of hair and ruffled it they way he always had. It felt good like it always had. Daisuke had never doubted his father cared.

"A friend of mine's been—" he searched for the word he wanted to use "—sick recently."

"Is he ok?"

Daisuke didn't look up. He didn't have to; he could tell Kosuke was concerned. All he had to think about right now, was what he really believed. "I think he will be."

"That's not so bad," Kosuke grinned in a conscious attempt to add some cheer. "I've got some good news." Daisuke looked straight at him for the first time since they sat down. "I've got a job at a dig, and it looks like I'll have it for a long time."

Daisuke smiled, genuinely happy for him. "Where is it?"

"South America," Kosuke responded with some excitement. His focus in archeology had been centered around that region. "Will you be ok if I'm gone for a long time? It might be a couple years."

"Yeah," Daisuke started kicking his legs, always itching to move. "Don't worry about me. I can stay where I've been."

"That's good. I was worried about you." Kosuke gave him a pat on the shoulder. "Who have you been staying with, anyway?"

Daisuke hesitated and he could tell Kosuke sensed it. Now the man would be looking for any falseness in the statement, and Daisuke knew he had to tell the truth. "Mom."

Kosuke didn't seem to react at all, instead just freezing the way he was when he first realised it would be an answer he didn't want. "You've finally met your mother, huh?" Daisuke nodded silently. "Is that why you wanted to ask me about her?" He nodded again. Kosuke let out a quiet chuckle. "I'm glad."

That most certainly caught Daisuke's attention.

"I was getting worried you would never get a chance to meet her. She's a wonderful woman, and I'm sure she'll take good care of you." Kosuke ruffled his hand in his son's hair again.

"You're not mad?" Daisuke didn't expect him to be, but he also didn't think that there would have been such a positive response.

"Of course not." There was a stillness that passed for a few moments, where neither knew how to continue the conversation. "So how is Emiko-san these days?"

"I think she's doing well."

"That's great."

They chatted on until the third time Kosuke believed he should have left, both feeling a certain cheer at seeing each other for the first time in a long time. Most of the topics were mundane and ordinary, and maybe that is what made them feel so right.

Daisuke pretended not to notice that the topic of Dark never entered the conversation.

* * *

In the days that followed, Krad fell into the routine of going to school and dealing with Saga and the increasingly difficult Shimokawa, then immediately going to the hospital to be with Satoshi, more often than not with Niwa in tow. He found himself liking this routine, and Satoshi seemed to be more and more glad to see them every day.

In fact, it was more like Satoshi had been put in a box. This box would always be exactly where he left it, in just the way he left it. Any time he wanted to go see Satoshi, he could just go open the box, and Satoshi would be there, just like he had been the day before, and would be the next day. Of course, sometimes the Satoshi in the box was asleep, but it was so much more convenient this way. Krad didn't have to search town in a frenzy or call a thousand people to find him. Satoshi would just be there. He'd be there, and safe, and unable to do something magnanimously stupid so long as Krad kept him here in the box.

Krad didn't bring the box thing up at all. It was a lot easier to pretend he wasn't crazy that way.

Krad's father dropped by the first day after Krad's return to school to meet Satoshi, and seemed to accept him immediately. Krad didn't mention to Satoshi how often Krad had shown off his paintings to his father beforehand to help improve his impression. Somehow, he had the feeling that Satoshi would be less than appreciative of such efforts.

Both Satoshi and Krad's father agreed to the adoption easily and the papers were brought by and signed the next day. When Krad's father tried to put it through the courts, he found that he had already been named as Satoshi's step-father—Krad thoroughly chastised Saga for working too far ahead, reminding him that his being bored was no excuse for trying to get them caught.

Slowly and surely, Satoshi was phased from the hospital to a rehabilitation center, at which point he realised that he had missed so many classes that his number of absences alone may have caused him to fail his classes. After a long and strenuous meeting with the principal, his teachers, and the counselor, it was decided that if Satoshi could keep his grades at a passing level and pass his final exams with nothing lower than a B, he would be allowed to move up to the next grade. Satoshi had no problems with this arrangement whatsoever, and took the exams immediately after they were prepared, passing them above the expectations.

Whenever Krad wasn't taking up Satoshi's time, Daisuke certainly was as the boy made a point to come by everyday and stay as long as he could, often sneaking in various snacks that Satoshi was often not fond of, but ate anyway. Satoshi could honestly say he was amazed at how well Daisuke was improving in his studies and how mature he had become. Daisuke, naturally, took none of the credit.

Neither Satoshi nor Daisuke saw much of either Harada. Daisuke reported to Satoshi early on that Risa had stopped coming to school after the accident, then suddenly started attending once again as if nothing had happened. He was also happy to say that her scars weren't very noticeable, even if she did seem to be wearing more make-up those days. Riku seemed to be doing well in every story Daisuke told. She seemed to be passing her classes and she was improving in her athletics, and although it seemed odd to Satoshi that Daisuke never had any first-hand information, he never asked about it.

The time Daisuke and Krad spent at school was very boring to Satoshi, and as much as he enjoyed the rest, he was itching to get out of the rehabilitation center and back into the real world. All the idleness was boring him, and he wanted nothing more than to be back in his studies where he belonged.

Besides, being cooped up like this would make him crazier than he already was.

* * *

A/N: I know. It's a little ominous, but I was having trouble ending this. Don't expect an immediate follow up for the second arc. I don't even know what I'm going to call that thing yet. I have a lot of it planned out, but there's still a lot more planning and writing to do. Wish me luck?

There's the review button, right there. I think you know what it's for. -smile smile-


	20. END: Note

A little belated but the sequel to this story is now up! It is entitled _Ikite-Yuku_, and you can find it in my profile. Please enjoy it at your liesure!


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